National   

'No evidence to link drug smuggling to terrorism'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI MARCH 26. Increased intelligence sharing between India and Sri Lanka to effectively put down the illicit drug trade formed part of a three-day officials-level talks between the two countries from March 23 to 25. Besides matters pertaining to smuggling of gold, silver and electronic goods and commercial frauds, the focus of the talks, the 24th in the series, was on chalking out strategies to combat narcotics smuggling.

In an informal chat with presspersons, the Director-General of Sri Lanka Customs and the leader of the island delegation, C. S. W. Jayatilake, said further strengthening of the intelligence network between the two countries would go a long way in keeping an effective check on the movement of drugs.

Efforts were also on to get information from fishermen along the coast of Sri Lanka, regarding the movement of narcotics and smugglers.

For their part, non-governmental organisations in the island were putting in efforts to create awareness on the deleterious effects of consuming narcotics and some of them were involved in the rehabilitation of drug-addicts, said the Director of Sri Lanka Customs, S. Ramachandran.

The officials said that according to statistics, the number of addicts in Sri Lanka was about 60,000 and "the figure could be more".

Only two or three major smuggling gangs were suspected to be operating now.

There was no evidence to show that drug-smuggling was linked to terrorism.

A Narcotics Control Bureau official said that there was good coordination and cooperation between the enforcement agencies of the two countries in anti-smuggling operations.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Non-Cong. Opposition leaders want India to take firm stand
• Double-standards on tackling terrorism will not help: India
• 'Supply of petroleum products not affected'
• AI, IA operating scheduled flights to Kuwait
• A 'cowardly killing', says BJP
• NHRC notice to Centre, J&K Govt.
• Guidelines for revised uplinking policy
• Railway concession for patients
• Five-day parole for R.K. Sharma
• Kerala not for move to transfer waters to T.N.
• Kalam condemns carnage
• 'No evidence to link drug smuggling to terrorism'
• Togadia sees jehadis' hand in Pandya's murder

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu