200 kg of heroin and ICE taken into custody

The Navy took into custody yesterday (16), 200 kilos of heroin and crystal meth (ICE) from a trawler in the seas off the southern coast.

The Navy Media Unit said yesterday that the drugs were found during a joint operation conducted by the Navy, Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) and the State Intelligence Service.

Sailors aboard SLNS Samudura that detected the multi-day trawler also arrested several suspects on the boat.The Navy Media Unit said that they also apprehended another multi-day trawler, which was supplying fuel to the vessel that was carrying the drugs.

The Navy said the drugs, the boats, and the suspects were handed over to relevant officials.The NMU added that they had not yet estimated the street value of the recovered drugs.Between January 01 and November 15, the Navy apprehended drugs worth 65 million U.S. dollars (24 billion rupees), it said. (RK)