GOVT. DETERMINED TO CRUSH DRUG TRAFFICKING

Buddhasasana and Deputy Defence Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayake on Friday
disclosed that the Government has taken a firm decision to eliminate drug
trafficking activities involving affluent people in the country with the
help of law enforcement officers.

He said it was pathetic that these people who are leading luxury lives are
still in the habit of slipping the security blanket by using various methods.

He made these remarks at the annual awards ceremony, conducted by the
National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), in Colombo on Friday. The
awards were presented to a selected officers, attached to the Police, Army
and Navy who contributed immensely for minimizing the selling, possessing
and trafficking of dangerous drugs.

"As the Minister of Buddhasasana and Deputy Minister of Defence, I have the
sole responsibility of creating a well behaved society and therefore the
Government's first task is to protect the future generation from consuming
dangerous drugs such as heroin, opium, cannabis and hashish," he said.

He said the Government has commenced many programmes to eradicate the drug
trafficking and steps have already been taken to eliminate this menace from
the grass roots level.

"Once this programme is getting activated any person who is found guilty
for drug related activities will be punished heavily without looking to his
position,' he added.

Minister Wickremenayake also thanked the officials who received awards at
the ceremony and said that their contribution cannot be valued since it has
greatly benefitted not only to create a better society but also for the
well-being of younger generation who are the leaders in the future world.

Deputy Director, NDDCB Karunadasa Gamage said that a special programme has
been implemented to collect islandwide data of drug addicts with the
assistance of Police and also non governmental organisations who are
currently engaged in the drug elimination program.