United Nations’ Drugs and Crime Agency Regional Chief meets Mangala

Sergey Kapinos, Regional Representative for South Asia of the United Nations Organisation on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), presented credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.

Samaraweera noted that given the strategic location of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is vulnerable to be utilised as a transit point for drug trafficking. He commended the Southern Route Partnership initiative undertaken by the UNODC to counter heroin trafficking in the Indian Ocean which will be helpful for Sri Lankan drug enforcement authorities.

Samaraweera reiterated the necessity to enhance drug trafficking tracing methods with the use of latest scientific technology and praised the contribution made by the UNODC for undertaking capacity building measures to support the drug/law enforcement and drug demand reduction initiatives carried out in Sri Lanka. 

Kapinos noted that Sri Lanka is one of the countries open for cooperation and therefore would work closely with the Sri Lankan authorities to counter drug trafficking activities.