Reader’s point of view :
COLOMBO : It was recently reported that narcotics worth over Rs. 60 million—shipped via international express courier services—are lying unclaimed at Colombo Cargo Express. These parcels, originating from countries like the USA, Canada, and Malaysia, were addressed to local recipients using fake identities and false addresses.
This raises serious questions about enforcement and investigation. Why hasn’t the Police Narcotics Bureau sought the assistance of the sender-country courier services and payment gateways to trace the original shippers and their Sri Lankan counterparts? Verifying bank remittances linked to these shipments could help identify local receivers.
Customs too should proactively examine past consignments sent by the same overseas companies and determine who previously collected them. Given that these drugs are often disguised within items like electrical goods, sports equipment, and confectionaries, a deeper audit trail is vital.
Unless both the foreign and local networks are identified and disrupted—with prosecutions, naming, and shaming—Sri Lanka will continue to remain a convenient drop-off point for international drug syndicates.
Mohamed Zahran
Colombo
