Sunday Times 2
Sri Lanka faces rising ICE crisis as heroin declines
View(s):By K.A.D.C.Kodithuwakku, Deputy Government Analyst
Sri Lanka is grappling with a major shift in its drug landscape, as methamphetamine has overtaken heroin as the most prevalent illicit narcotic in the country. A decade-long study by the Government Analyst’s Department (GAD) reveals alarming new patterns in drug trafficking, consumption, and purity levels, underscoring the urgent need for reforms in law enforcement and public health policy.
Between 2015 and 2024, more than 156,000 drug-related cases were submitted to the GAD for forensic analysis. While heroin dominated the illicit market until 2021, methamphetamine cases surged dramatically after 2018, surpassing heroin by 2022. By 2024, methamphetamine had become the primary narcotic examined in Sri Lankan courts, echoing a global trend of synthetic drug proliferation.
Heroin, once the country’s second-most abused drug after cannabis, showed relative stability until 2019. Seizures revealed purity levels ranging from 0.1% to 70%, reflecting both adulterated street-level heroin and high-purity consignments. However, from 2020 onwards, heroin cases began to plateau, and by 2022 its share of submissions had been eclipsed by methamphetamine.
Experts note that part of this decline stems from changing trafficking patterns. “Bulk heroin continues to arrive through maritime and air routes, mainly from India and Pakistan, but methamphetamine has increasingly taken its place in local distribution networks.
Methamphetamine, often sold in crystalline form as “ice”, recorded an explosive rise after 2018. In 2017, meth cases were negligible. By 2023, however, over 24,000 methamphetamine-related cases were submitted for analysis. Unlike heroin, methamphetamine purity levels have remained consistently high, often exceeding 70% w/w, making it particularly dangerous for users.
The forensic study highlights seasonal peaks, with methamphetamine seizures spiking in October–December, coinciding with festive seasons and heightened trafficking activity.
The Government Analyst’s Department, Sri Lanka’s sole national forensic laboratory, has been overwhelmed by the caseload. The narcotics section now receives around 3,000 cases a month. Advanced equipment like GC, GC-MS and FTIR has improved analytical precision, but manpower and space remain insufficient.
The findings reinforce calls for urgent amendments to Sri Lanka’s drug laws, particularly to differentiate between users and traffickers. Public health experts argue that treating drug dependence as a medical issue rather than purely a criminal matter would ease the strain on prisons and courts.
Sri Lanka’s position as a transit hub between South and Southeast Asia has only deepened the crisis. “If we don’t address the methamphetamine surge now, we risk following the same trajectory seen in parts of East Asia, where synthetic drugs have completely overtaken traditional opiates,” warned a criminology researcher.
The decade-long analysis provides
Sri Lanka with its first comprehensive baseline of narcotics purity and case trends. The challenge now lies in transforming this data into effective action. Strengthening forensic capacity, enhancing inter-agency collaboration, and implementing evidence-based drug laws will be crucial if the country is to prevent methamphetamine from becoming a runaway epidemic.