The Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard, aided by the Police and intelligence agencies have this week intercepted two local fishing trawlers inbound with nearly 430kg of Heroin and crystal Methamphetamine. The crew of SLNS Vijayabahu, SLCG Samudraraksha and the intelligence agencies personnel, who had worked tirelessly to track and apprehend the narcotics deserve praise and thanks.

However, now that the drugs have been intercepted, the boats confiscated, suspects handed over to the Police along with nearly half a ton of Heroin and Crystal Meth, what will become of the evidence? It is no secret that many Sri Lankans are deeply suspicious of what becomes of hundreds of kilos of Heroin and other narcotics, once they enter the evidence chain of custody. Many believe that the drugs return to the streets. Even politicians, when in opposition, often raise the question as to what happens to the drugs?

The question is a valid one. And one which grows in relevance, given the volume of drugs intercepted and the volume which is envisaged to be consumed. The deep distrust in the State on matters of accountability and transparency, which has been growing with the public over decades is not misplaced. Can we be sure of what happens to such large quantities of narcotics, once they enter the custody chain of the State? Many think not. And rightfully so. Over the last year, how many times have we heard of ‘evidences’ which were in either police or court evidence storage gone missing?

In august, a Type-56 rifle and a revolver which had been placed in Matara Magistrate’s Court evidence storage room was recovered by the officers of the Police Special Task Force in a forest in Dikwella Mudugamuwa. The said rifle was later identified as the weapon used to murder 45-year-old Mudugamuwa Arachchi Sanjeeva, a resident of Matara, Uyanwatta South, who was killed on August 15 in Bodarakanda area, Dickwella. How firearms, which were in state evidence rooms under lock and key, ended up back on the streets being used for murder, underscores the magnitude of the issue at hand. There have been several instances where narcotics evidence in state custody have turned into wheat flour or icing sugar, in the past. Recently, there was a report of a police officer selling gold jewellery which was part of evidence taken in when a burglary suspect was arrested.

The bitter truth is that there are many state officials and many in the law enforcement apparatus are corrupted, or in such vulnerable situations where they can be exploited for crime. The arrest of 13 Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officers for running their own drug distribution operation is a clear example of how compromised the system is. And why wouldn’t it be so? What examples do such officers and state officials have to follow? When it is clear to the public that the leaders of the country are corrupt and get away from punishment for breaking the law, would they be inspired to be just and honest? Likely not. The ordinary citizen who is quick to criticise corruption and malpractice and quick to offer a bribe when pulled over by traffic policemen for a violation are no different. Big or small, corruption is corruption, it is a learned trait, and one we cannot snuff out without first doing what’s right ourselves.   

Last year, the then Government said that they would change the law about evidence, which would expedite the process of analysis of the narcotics and will allow the drugs to be destroyed before an officer of the Judiciary. That was in January 2022, up to now, little has changed. The public destruction of narcotics is not new to Sri Lanka, the Government disposed of 900kg of cocaine in January 2018, and in 2019 April destroys 800kg Cocaine which was seized in four raids between June 2016 and June 2018. What’s preventing that from being done today?