Japan to provide Rs.340 Mn grant to boost anti-narcotic ops.

The prevalence of drug-related activities in Sri Lanka has increased in recent past and it has been recognized as an emerging social problem in the country, said the Ministry of Finance in a statement on Monday.

As a remedial action for controlling the situation, Sri Lanka Police has identified the necessity of modern equipment to detect large scale drug trafficking activities and the individuals under the influence of dangerous drugs.

Accordingly, based on the request of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of Japan has agreed to provide approximately Rs. 340 million grant under the Japanese non-project grant aid scheme for the provision of the necessary equipment to strengthen the investigation and detection capacities of drugs and related anti-narcotic activities of Sri Lanka Police.

The Exchange of Notes was signed by S. R. Attygalle, Secretary, Ministry of Finance, and Sugiyama Akira, Ambassador of Government of Japan.