The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka says a joint counternarcotics operation has disrupted a Pakistan‑based trafficking network attempting to move crystal methamphetamine through Sri Lanka to international markets.
The Embassy said in a statement that acting on intelligence developed between August 14–29 by the DEA’s Foreign Counterparts Unit and Pakistan’s Anti‑Narcotics Force Special Investigations Cell, Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) intercepted suspicious maritime containers arriving from Pakistan.
The seizure yielded approximately 463 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, concealed in bath towels, with an estimated street value of $21 million. Several suspects, including Pakistani nationals, were taken into custody.
The US Embassy stressed that the operation underscores the strength of the US–Sri Lanka partnership in dismantling transnational criminal organizations that fund terrorism and threaten communities in both countries.
It further noted that this cooperation builds on longstanding training and technical assistance provided through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) to Sri Lanka Police and Customs.
The United States reaffirmed its commitment to working with Sri Lanka and regional partners to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations, deny them revenue from illicit drug trafficking, and protect citizens from the dangers of narcotics. (Newswire)