News
Tamil Nadu hub for Pak drug cartels supplying Sri Lanka, says report
Tamil Nadu has become a hub/paradise for Pakistan narcotic cartels to send drugs to Sri-Lanka, says a report published by One India yesterday.
The report filed from New Delhi said: The nabbing of Khader Mohideen and Ibrahim Saha, two international drug smugglers in Hyderabad has only shown the extent of the problem yet again.
While they were nabbed in Hyderabad, the police said that they are residents of Chennai and this once again puts the focus back on the drug menace which has been emanating from Sri Lanka. It has been found on multiple occasions that the drug cartel operating in Sri Lanka is controlled by Pakistan.In November, the Tamil Nadu coastal police arrested a DMK councillor and a former councillor of the same party for attempting to smuggle cocaine worth Rs 360 crore from the Ramanathapuram district. In this case, the investigations found that former DMK councillor, Jainuddin and current councillor of the 19th ward of Rameshwaram, Sarbaz Nawaz had intended to transport the cocaine to Sri Lanka.The above mentioned incidents are not surprising, because this racket has been on for a long time. In 2006, 18,600 Tamil refugees arrived in Rameshwaram Tamil Nadu. All of them were sent to special camps as the agencies doubted that they were linked to the LTTE. The probe also revealed that many of them were drug couriers. In the name of medicines and aid came the drugs, an official tells OneIndia.
These incidents were quite high when the LTTE existed. However since the fall there was a lull and today there is not a single day that passes by when an incident of drug smuggling on the Sri Lanka-Tamil Nadu route is not reported. There has been a spike in the smuggling of ephedrine and cocaine. There has also been a 26 per cent rise in the number of smuggling incidents concerning amphetamine. While these are some of the common drugs being smuggled on this route, there are also many incidents of heroin smuggling as well. The official cited above said that the drug cartels are also smuggling ketamine, pseudoephedrine, LSD and cannabis. TN has always been a transit point: With the civil war in Sri Lanka ending the drug cartels have gone up. While the demand for cocaine is higher in India, in the case of Sri Lanka it is heroin. The drug route has been a preferred one as the border is porous, an Intelligence Bureau official explains. The close proximity between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka is also another reason why the route has become a paradise for drug cartels.The international drug cartel has relied on the fishermen to be their couriers. These fishermen were also used by the LTTE who would source heroin from India and sell it in Sri Lanka. The proceeds were used to fund their activities. Following the fall of the LTTE the model has been replicated by the international drug cartels. The demand for heroin being very high in Sri Lanka has also led to these cartels using the Indian route to reach Sri Lanka. There have been several probes into these incidents. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had found that the drugs are produced in Afghanistan and then smuggled to Pakistan following which it is dropped off in Punjab. From Punjab the drugs are loaded into inter-state trucks and then supplied to the rest of the country. Most of the grade 3 drugs make their way into Ramanathapuram as it is the closest sea link to Sri Lanka.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
