Grown in MP, Snorted in Lanka

According to the recently-released International Narcotics Control Board’s report 2002, the ‘‘illicit drug consignments continue to be smuggled by sea, mainly on small vessels, between the southern coast of India, especially the southern part of the Coromandel Coast, and the western coast of Sri Lanka.’’

The report says, ‘‘Colombo continues to be used as a trans-shipment point for illicit drug consignments that pass through India on their way to other countries’’.

In fact, the largest seizure of heroin was made in Chennai on April 25, 2002. The Chennai Zonal Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau had seized 68.5 kg of heroin worth over Rs 68 crores in the international market. The unit had arrested a Sri Lankan identified as Faily. They had recovered Indian currency amounting to Rs 2,94,325 which was suspected to be drug money.

But this isn’t the first such haul in Chennai. Worried over the growth in drug smuggling between Chennai and Sri Lanka, the Indian enforcement authorities have been in constant touch with Sri Lankan authorities.

Officials said that in November 2001, bi-lateral operational level talks were held between India and Sri Lanka to discuss these developments. A joint sitting was also held between enforcement agencies of both the countries to figure out the consumption of heroin within Sri Lanka. This, because, officials feel that the amounts being seized are too large to be merely for internal consumption.

Sources say that at that time the local consumption was presumed to be around 150 to 200 kg of heroin per month and, the Chennai unit of the NCB seized more than 200 kg in 2001 alone.

Officials add that in most of the seizures made in Chennai, the accused included Sri Lankan nationals, many of whom were living in India.

Says NCB’s Chennai Zonal director Shankar Jiwal: ‘‘According to our information, most of the heroin from India is headed for Colombo and other suburbs. We have asked the Sri Lankan authorities to give us an estimate of their actual internal demand.’’

Investigating officers have ruled out any Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) links. ‘‘As of now, it seems that these are drug cartels smuggling heroin for their own business motive,’’ says Jiwal.

A fair assumption considering the profit they make. Sources say that heroin in Sri Lanka is sold for approximately Rs 11 lakh (in Sri Lankan currency) per kg. ‘‘In fact, the smugglers stand to gain a profit of upto Rs 4 lakh,’’ they add.

Bangalore, Salem, Trichy, Tuticorin and Chennai are the most active points in heroin smuggling. The smuggling starts usually from ‘‘up north right down to Sri Lanka by air and sea routes.’’ Officials suspect that the heroin finally makes its way out to the West.

There are three states in the country which produce licit opium which is then transferred to two factories and made into morphine. These states include Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The controlling authority issuing licenses for growing poppy is the Central Bureau of Narcotics.

The INCB report notes that a part of the heroin manufactured in India ‘‘is smuggled into the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka’’.

The Board also notes that ‘‘in Sri Lanka, the conflict with LTTE has absorbed law enforcement and military capacities and prevented adequate patrolling of the country’s 1,100 miles of coastline.’’

The Sri Lankan National Dangerous Drugs Control Board has noted that the number of heroin abusers has seen an increase in the past few years. According to a 2002 report, the number of persons treated for heroin alone was 3,550 which was 88 per cent of the total number of persons treated for drug abuse in 2001.

It further adds that heroin represented ‘‘two-third of the total arrests in 2001.’’ Most of the arrests for heroin-related offences were reported from the western, southern and central provinces between 1997 and 2001, with the Colombo district reporting the highest number.