Colombo: On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan Coast Guards seized two boats carrying illegal drugs from Karachi port and bound for the island nation. The Sri Lankan security agencies received timely and concrete intelligence about the boats from Indian intelligence agencies.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the nodal drug law enforcement and intelligence agency of India, had supplied the Sri Lankan forces with reliable inputs about two boats carrying drugs from Karachi to Sri Lanka. This helped the security forces of Sri Lanka to intercept the boats and prevent drug trafficking.
The local media have reported that drugs arrive in Sri Lanka via air and sea routes. The drug money is used mainly for financing terror across the world. Recently, the Sri Lankan government has begun a crackdown on the illegal drug trade. South Colombo has emerged as a drug hub in Sri Lanka with Dehiwala, which is in South Colombo, becoming the major drug distribution centre.
Dehiwala has a huge Muslim population and was one of the target areas during the Easter Day terror attacks.
Indian intelligence agencies say that drug is the major source of income for the dreaded Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI. The income from the illegal drug trade is diverted to finance terrorism in India and other areas of interest for ISI.
According to reports, the rise of Islamic extremism in Sri Lanka can be attributed to the inflow of funds from the illegal drug trade.
ISI sources these drugs from the opium growing places in Afghanistan and then transport it through air and sea routes to Sri Lanka. Sea route is considered the safest and use small boats and ships for the transport of drugs over long distance through the sea.
Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan together are called the Golden Crescent, where large scale opium cultivation is being done. The cultivation of opium and the processing of heroin are controlled by the Islamic fundamentalist group Taliban and ISI buys drugs directly from them.
Another interesting fact is that the D-company, headed by Dawood Ibrahim, is running the drug trade across the world for the shadowy ISI.
ISI is pushing drugs into India through the borders of Nepal and Bangladesh and the proceeds received from this illegal trade are used for financing terror activities in India.
