Sri Lankan security authorities have seized 463 kilograms of ‘Ice’ methamphetamine, with an estimated value of more than Rs 800 crore, from a container carrying a consignment of towels that had been brought from Pakistan and was allegedly destined for re-export to Cameroon.
The seizure followed an extensive inspection of a suspicious container that had been landed at the Port of Colombo in June. The drugs had been concealed inside the container among the towel consignment, according to the investigation.
The operation was conducted jointly by the Colombo Central Crime Investigation Bureau, the Sri Lanka Customs Department and the Police Narcotics Bureau. The agencies carried out a specialised inspection of the container before discovering the large quantity of methamphetamine.
Investigators have found that the consignment of towels was intended to be transported from Pakistan through Sri Lanka and onward to Cameroon, an African state, under a re-export arrangement. The discovery of the drugs came after security authorities subjected the container, which had arrived in Sri Lanka in June, to a detailed examination.
A 44-year-old man suspected of being directly connected to the incident has also been arrested. Police confirmed that the suspect is a resident of the Modara area.
Further investigations are now under way to identify other individuals suspected of assisting the drug trafficking operation, as well as those believed to be behind the wider network. Authorities are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the shipment and the alleged use of Sri Lanka as a transit point.
Officials told the media that previous maritime operations conducted in cooperation with the Sri Lanka Navy had significantly helped control drug trafficking by sea. They said traffickers had consequently been attempting to use alternative routes, including containers, to move drugs into and out of Sri Lanka.
Information indicating that traffickers were seeking to exploit containerised cargo prompted authorities to subject containers to intensified inspections, officials said. The seizure of the 463kg methamphetamine shipment was described as a result of those enhanced checks.
The scale of the seizure highlights the significance of the investigation for authorities attempting to disrupt trafficking networks using international cargo movements. The shipment was not intended solely for the Sri Lankan market, according to the findings, but was allegedly being moved through Sri Lanka as part of a route from Pakistan to Cameroon.
The Colombo Central Crime Investigation Bureau, Sri Lanka Customs Department and Police Narcotics Bureau are continuing their joint investigation into the case, with efforts focused on identifying all those involved and establishing the full structure of the trafficking network.
