Politicians help heroin racketeers

The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) arrested a couple with nine kilograms and 434 grams of heroin worth Rs. 70 million January 19.
The couple rented a house in Wanarathana Road, Dehiwela, for Rs. 45,000 a month. The man, a 30-year old Sri Lankan Muslim, had married a 54-year old Maldivian Muslim woman in December 2009 as a part of a plan set up by a Pakistani mastermind.
Stocks of heroin were flown in by the Pakistani mastermind. He had left Sri Lanka on January 17. Four kilograms of heroin had already been distributed on his instructions when the rest of the stock was detained. The PNB refused to divulge the destination towards with the heroin was heading as investigations are not complete.
Investigations are handled by a special police team under the supervision of PNB Director SSP Eric Perera.
Police Media Spokesman SSP I.M. Karunarathna, quoting PNB information, said 50,284 people were arrested for heroin-related cases from 2005 to 2009. Among them were large, medium and small scale heroin dealers. Foreigners from India, Maldives and Pakistan were among those apprehended. Twenty-one of the suspects were sentenced to death and another 128, including Indians and Pakistanis, were sentenced to life imprisonment.
During the past five years, police have detained 147kgs, 169g and 720mg of heroin. Despite many arrests, heroin use is still high mostly due to political backing, police say.
- GKW