Field Marshal sees moles of drug lords inside Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre

Drug addicts used to be treated for 18 months at Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre in the past, but the treatment period has been reduced to six months now, Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said in Parliament on Thursday.

“Most people in Kandakadu now are addicted methamphetamines. Most of the drug barons have political backing,” he said.

Earlier, Kandakadu specialised in treating heroin addicts who were less aggressive. Abusers of methamphetamines are more dangerous and some moles of drug barons are in the rehabilitation centre to cause problems, he said.

“Kandakadu can hold 500 people but there are only 350 people being rehabilitated. We are not even using facilities that are available. There are only 90 personnel there and only around 60 are on duty during a day. This is not enough,” he said.

Fonseka said that treating addicts was not enough and that there should be a way to discourage people getting addicted to drugs.

“A notorious drug lord, Kanchipani Imran, escaped the country a few days after he was given bail. What were the intelligence operatives doing? State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director is Major General Suresh Salley and the government was saying he was great. When I was reorganising the military, I sidelined Salley and later he was made a hero because I sidelined him. If Salley was good, how did Kanchipani escape? Former SDIG Lateef used to harass young kids using STF but his own brother in law was arrested while bringing a container load of drugs. This shows we only target small fry, never the sharks,” he said.

However, before rehabilitating drug addicts, Sri Lanka must rehabilitate its political class, he said.

“The politicians are the real problem. They only think about winning elections. Sri Lanka has collapsed because of their actions,” he said.