Friday Nov 06, 2026
Friday Nov 06, 2026
Friday, 6 November 2026 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday has warned that a powerful “shadow State” has emerged within Sri Lanka, with drug traffickers and organised criminal networks allegedly using their financial resources to influence politicians, law enforcement officers, public officials and State institutions.
Addressing a religious summit at Temple Trees to mark the first anniversary of the Government’s national anti-drug operation, the President said an underground criminal network had developed alongside the legitimate State machinery, posing a serious threat to the country’s future.
He said drug traffickers had accumulated enormous wealth, enabling them to infiltrate politics, influence State institutions and establish networks capable of undermining law enforcement and the rule of law.
The President said the scale of drug seizures over the past year reflected the magnitude of the illegal narcotics trade, with authorities confiscating drugs valued at approximately Rs. 218 billion, rising to Rs. 224 billion when cannabis was included.
The seizures comprised 6,528 kg of ICE (crystal methamphetamine), 4,000 kg of heroin, 1,841 kg of hashish, 314 kg of cocaine and 2,598 kg of other narcotics. Authorities had also seized nearly 4.5 million drug tablets and capsules.
He further revealed that around 150 kg of heroin and ICE had been seized earlier in the day.
The President warned that the quantities intercepted by law enforcement agencies represented only part of the illegal trade, suggesting that substantially larger volumes could be entering the market.
He said the Government’s efforts were not limited to confiscating narcotics and arresting suspects, but also focused on dismantling the financial and institutional networks sustaining organised crime.
The President also outlined measures taken against suspected organised criminals, including freezing assets worth Rs. 4.5 billion believed to have been acquired through criminal activities, while highlighting the need to strengthen the legal framework to tackle the drug trade.
He said proposed legislative changes would form part of a broader effort to dismantle criminal networks and prevent drug traffickers from using their wealth and influence to penetrate State institutions.
The President stressed that the emergence of a parallel criminal power structure threatened the integrity of public institutions and required a sustained response beyond conventional narcotics enforcement.
