Five fishermen have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in a major drug trafficking operation after parcels of heroin and crystal methamphetamine (Ice) were found floating in the seas off Bentota and Beruwala, police said.
The arrests were made during a raid conducted by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) following an intelligence tip-off.
According to investigators, the suspects had left Dikwella Fisheries Harbour on November 11 for deep-sea fishing and were returning when the narcotics were allegedly transferred to two smaller boats. Police said both of those vessels are currently missing.
During the operation, officers recovered:
- 43 kg of crystal meth concealed inside 41 frozen fish drifting in deep waters off Beruwala.
- A separate parcel containing 19.85 kg of heroin that washed ashore on Bentota beach yesterday morning.
The arrested fishermen are now being held under detention orders as investigators work to trace the origins of the drug shipments, the missing boats, and the broader network behind the smuggling operation.
