COLOMBO, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested 29 major drug suppliers involved in smuggling narcotics into the country, Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala has said.
The Sri Lankan government currently focuses on both reducing demand and dismantling supply networks in its crackdown on drug and drug-related crimes, Watagala said on Wednesday when addressing an anti-drug campaign event.
He said the government has made a strategic decision to target the top tiers of the drug trade.
Watagala said narcotics are often smuggled into Sri Lanka by sea, including through entry points such as the Trincomalee Port, in the Eastern Province, and that local youth are a primary target of the trade.
Watagala said CID officers have also conducted operations in Indonesia, Nepal and Pakistan to trace suspects linked to international drug trafficking networks.
The Sri Lankan government has made drug eradication a priority by launching the national anti-drug campaign "A Nation United" in October 2025. ■
