A group of Indian police officers led by the Director General of India’s Narcotics Control Bureau arrives in Sri Lanka today for talks on curbing cross-border drug trafficking between the two countries.
The delegation is scheduled to hold a programme in Colombo with Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya, NewsFirst reported, citing a senior police officer.
What is on the agenda
Three areas were named:
- Joint training for police officers who handle drug-related matters in both countries.
- Expanded intelligence sharing between the two states.
- A joint action plan aimed at eradicating the drug trade.
The stated purpose of the visit is to put in place measures against trafficking that moves between the two countries.
Context
The visit follows a sustained push by Colombo for Indian cooperation on narcotics. During Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Colombo this month, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake asked India to back Sri Lanka’s anti-drug campaign, in talks that also covered maritime security.
Indian and Sri Lankan agencies have also worked the same networks from opposite ends. Earlier this month India’s NCB dismantled a trafficking network running across Nepal, India and Sri Lanka.
The sea route between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka’s north and west coasts has been the principal channel in recent prosecutions on both sides, and Sri Lanka Navy interdictions of narcotics carried aboard fishing vessels have been a recurring feature of the past year.
Caveats
NewsFirst is so far the only verified newsroom to report the visit, and its account is attributed to an unnamed senior police officer. The report does not name the NCB Director General, give the size or composition of the delegation, say how long the visit lasts, or indicate whether any agreement is due to be signed. No Indian government statement on the visit had been published at the time of writing.
