By Dwayne Ferreira.
Ratama Ekata anti-drug campaign tops 230,000 arrests as police detain four alleged local aides linked to kingpin Palani Shiran Clorian.
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s Ratama Ekata anti-drug campaign has intensified after police arrested four alleged local associates of detained drug kingpin Palani Shiran Clorian in Colombo.
The Pettah Police Special Unit carried out the arrests following information received by officers. Police detained the suspects in Mattakkuliya, Keselwatta, Maligawatta and Kotahena.
Investigators allege the group operated Clorian’s street-level distribution network, moving about 50 grams of narcotics a day. Police say each delivery could earn up to Rs. 15,000 daily.
Clorian is currently held at a detention camp in Trichy, India. However, Sri Lankan authorities have continued targeting the financial and operational network allegedly linked to him.
Joint investigations by the Terrorism Investigation Division and the Illegal Assets and Property Investigation Division previously led to court-ordered freezes on assets valued at about Rs. 80 million. Those assets included a house in Wattala, luxury vehicles and a boat.
Ratama Ekata Anti-Drug Campaign Passes 230,000 Arrests
The Colombo arrests come as the nationwide Ratama Ekata anti-drug campaign continues to expand.
The operation brings together the Sri Lanka Police, military, Navy, Customs and Special Task Force in a coordinated crackdown on narcotics trafficking and distribution.
According to the latest figures from the Police Narcotics Bureau, authorities have seized more than 15,900 kilograms of illegal drugs and arrested over 230,000 suspects.
Police estimate the total street value of narcotics seized through these operations has exceeded Rs. 226.4 billion.
Crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as “Ice”, accounts for a major share of the arrests and seizures. Authorities have recorded more than 89,000 arrests linked to Ice, while seizing over 2,600 kilograms.
Heroin remains another major component of the drug trade. Police have seized more than 2,200 kilograms and made nearly 75,000 arrests linked to heroin.
Cannabis seizures have exceeded 7,400 kilograms. Authorities have also intercepted hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, Kush and hashish moved through maritime and air routes.
Investigators Target Assets Behind Narcotics Networks
Police are also increasingly focusing on the financial structures supporting organised drug networks.
Using anti-money laundering laws, the Illegal Assets Investigation Division has targeted property, luxury vehicles and businesses allegedly financed through narcotics proceeds.
Recent operations have resulted in freezes on more than Rs. 130 million in property stretching from Embilipitiya to Colombo.
Authorities are seeking to weaken criminal syndicates by cutting off their finances while arresting the people who allegedly manage local distribution networks. The latest arrests tied to Clorian show how the Ratama Ekata anti-drug campaign is combining street-level enforcement with financial investigations aimed at dismantling wider narcotics operations.
