(COLOMBO) – Over 10,000 suspects have been rounded up in an ongoing country-wide special operation ‘Yukthiya’ or Justice in Sri Lanka aimed at curbing drug-related and underworld activities, a senior official said on Friday.
He said a total of 10,456 persons including nearly 100 women had been arrested in the dusk to dawn operations carried out in selected areas known for underworld activity.
From this figure some 517 persons have been placed under detention orders pending further investigations while 886 known drug addicts have been sent for rehabilitation at State-run facilities.
In addition another 106 suspects are under investigation for illegal assets while another 4,665 individuals listed as Island Re-Convicted criminals are also being held for further investigation, the official added.
Apart from that the police have seized 7.7 kilograms of heroin, 3.9 kilograms of Ice, 227 kilograms of Cannabis, 546,040 Cannabis plants, 105 kilograms of Mawa, 551grams of Hashish, three kilograms of Thule, 520 grams of Kush and 44,267 narcotic pills.
In addition, a number of vehicles and properties acquired through illegal means by underworld criminals have also been seized in the operation that started on Sunday last week and is to end on Christmas Eve, the official further said.
