Sunday Times 2
The drug menace in Sri Lanka: Trafficking routes fuel a growing crisis
View(s):Sri Lanka is facing an escalating crisis of drug trafficking and abuse, threatening public health, national security, and the well-being of future generations. Despite intensified crackdowns by law enforcement, narcotics continue to enter the country, aided in part by its position along key international trafficking routes.
According to regional security analysts and law enforcement sources, Sri Lanka’s location in the Indian Ocean makes it a strategic waypoint for transnational drug syndicates. The island lies on the so-called Southern Route of the global heroin trade, where narcotics originating in Afghanistan’s Golden Crescent are transported via Pakistan and Iran, then moved by sea toward South and Southeast Asia. Increasingly, shipments are routed through South India before entering Sri Lanka in small fishing boats.
Colombo, Galle, and Trincomalee have been identified as notable entry and exit points. In several high-profile operations in recent years, authorities have seized multi-kilogram consignments of heroin and methamphetamine from fishing trawlers. Investigations reveal that traffickers often work with local collaborators, including fishermen, corrupt intermediaries, and organized criminal groups, to move drugs inland. These narcotics are repackaged and sold at street level, with urban centers and rural towns alike reporting increased availability. Law enforcement officers warn that youth remain a prime target for distribution networks.
The scale of the challenge is reflected in official data. The Government Analyst’s Department handled over 35,000 drug-related cases in 2024, with methamphetamine submissions rising steadily since 2019. Large-volume seizures are becoming more common, signaling a shift toward bulk trafficking operations over smaller-scale smuggling.
On the demand side, addiction rates are climbing, with reports of schoolchildren experimenting with vapes laced with synthetic substances. Rehabilitation services are stretched beyond capacity, and the stigma surrounding drug dependency continues to hinder timely treatment.
Authorities are advocating for tighter maritime surveillance, greater intelligence sharing with regional partners such as India, the Maldives, and Pakistan, and legal reforms to strengthen border control measures.
Community organizations, faith-based groups, and NGOs are stepping in with awareness programs and rehabilitation support initiatives. However, experts caution that without disrupting the trafficking networks and maritime supply lines, Sri Lanka risks deepening its role as both a transit and destination country for illicit drugs.
A coordinated strategy that combines law enforcement, policy reform, public health interventions, and education is widely regarded as the most effective path forward.
U W S Premathilaka
Senior Assistant Government Analyst