Drug Use Rising Among Sri Lanka’s Elite

Drug use among Sri Lanka’s wealthy and elite has increased compared to 2024, Senior DIG Pathinayake said, citing recent raid statistics.

Heroin seizures rose by 1.2 kilograms, while “ice” increased by 3 kilograms and 23 grams, leading to a fivefold rise in drug use in the Kandy Division.

He warned that prisons are turning into “factories for hardened criminals,” noting that minor drug offenders often return to society with more serious criminal tendencies.

The Senior DIG said drug transactions are conducted through easy cash methods and bank accounts opened using street beggars or deceased persons’ identity cards. While banks report suspicious transactions to the Central Bank’s Financial Crimes Unit, delays in investigations make it difficult to trace real offenders.

He also highlighted misuse in issuing mobile SIM cards, despite regulations requiring strict identity verification. Stressing that drug use has reached alarming levels and that Sri Lanka has become a transit hub for traffickers, he said combating drugs requires the collective effort of society, not the police alone.