Fool proof strategy required to fight war on drugs - Wasantha Samarasinghe

COLOMBO(News 1st) - Newspapers reported today(February 07) that the Ports, Shipping and Southern Development Minister Sagala Ratnayake had given instructions to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority to strengthen the security detail in and around the Colombo Port. Following an event at the Colombo Port today(February 07), the minister responded to the media when he inquired about the recent arrest of "Makandure Madush". Sagala Ratnayaka stated that they commenced necessary steps to identify and arrest high profile drug traffickers such as "Makandure Madush". He said that on multiple occasions they received information on "Makandure Madush" which turned out to be a wild goose in the end, however, after years of patience and investigating they were able to apprehend "Makandure Madush" and other high profile perpetrators in Dubai. He noted that when the foreign minister of the U.A.E. called prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, he requested their support for these operations which they received ever since. Three alleged associates of Makandure Madush and D.Manju were arrested in Wattala this morning(February 07). Wasantha Samarasinghe, Convenor of Voice Against Corruption shared his views on increasing security around the port area. He complained that Sagala Rathnayaka has forgotten that he was once the minister of law and order, which oversaw the police. He noted that when he was the minister of law he accommodated apprehended suspects in his house at Deniyaya. He added that Sagala Rathnayaka also released apprehended perpetrators from custody. Wasantha Samarasinghe who was not satisfied with the mere strengthening of security around the port added that Sagala Rathnayaka has forgotten about the forces such as Police Narcotic Bureau, the STF and the local forces which are at disposal to fight drug trafficking. He added that a foolproof strategy is necessary to fight the war on drugs in Sri Lankan soil. He stressed that it was Sagala Rathnayaka and his lot who allowed perpetrators to escape and released the passport to Arjun Mahendran to travel overseas. "Who obstructed the arrest of perpetrators? How was Nishshanka Senadipathi released? Where are the legal cases against these individuals?" he questioned. Samarasinghe stated that minister Sagala Rathnayaka is trying to control the police, through his ministry, however, when he was the minister of law and order he was not even slightly concerned. Wasantha Samarasinghe finally added that drug traffickers and their subordinates could be apprehended and produced before the law if the police and all other relevant units were to be sufficiently empowered. Meanwhile, the Attorney General's Department says it has not been approached with a request for legal assistance in order to extradite infamous underworld leader and drug kingpin "Makandure Madush" and his accomplices who were arrested in a hotel in Dubai. Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya stated that the Attorney General's Department is ready to provide assistance at any given time.