Tuesday Aug 11, 2026
Tuesday Aug 11, 2026
Tuesday, 11 August 2026 01:54 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Government is considering the death penalty for drug-related offences as part of tougher measures against narcotics trafficking and related crime, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said yesterday.
The proposal was discussed at the ‘Ratama Ekata’ National Operations Council meeting chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, which also considered the impact of narcotics and related crime on the economy, tourism, and society.
The Government is separately finalising amendments to drug-control and bail laws, which are expected to be gazetted before being presented to Parliament.
The meeting was told that efforts to clear delays in Government Analyst reports had accelerated, with 6,414 reports issued in July alone.
The President also directed officials to introduce a system to classify seized narcotics by quantity, including below five grams and 10 grams, and improve coordination among the Government Analyst’s Department, Police, and prisons to expedite court proceedings.
Measures to expand the capacity of the Government Analyst’s Department were also reviewed, while the Navy is assisting in processing drug-related evidence. The President also instructed officials to allocate funds for a security camera system.
The current situation in prisons was also discussed extensively. It was revealed that property damage caused by unrest in recent days at the prisons in Negombo, Mahara, Magazine, Pallansena, and Kuruwita had exceeded Rs. 255 million.
The meeting also discussed increasing access to the services of psychiatrists to help reduce unruly behaviour among prison inmates.
