COLOMBO: Sri Lanka´s police announced on Sunday the arrests of nearly 15,000 people during a week-long military-backed anti-narcotics drive, a crackdown denounced by rights activists.
Police said their operation, code-named “Yuktiya” or “Justice”, led to the seizure of almost 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of narcotics, including 272 kg of cannabis, 35 kg of hashish and nine kilograms of heroin.
Authorities believe the Indian Ocean island is being used as a drug trafficking transit point. A police statement said 13,666 suspects were arrested while nearly 1,100 addicts were detained and sent for compulsory rehabilitation at a military-run facility.
Local media showed footage of police and soldiers using sniffer dogs to search homes in the capital and elsewhere. Police said raids will pause for the Christmas holidays as officers needed to be deployed on security-related duties, but will resume after Tuesday, which is a Buddhist holiday.
Human rights lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah said the police raids were illegal as they were conducted without search warrants and urged victims to get the details of officers to initiate legal action later. Rights activist Ambika Satkunanathan posted on social media that the searches were not based on evidence but were “targeting only poor areas”.
“Another massive attack on our energy industry!” Energy Minister German Galushchenko wrote on Telegram app
Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are the main cause of climate change
According to media, the vote passed with nearly 60 percent in favour
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a bacterial infection of the lungs and airways, and is endemic in Europe
Harry, the younger son of King Charles, is one of seven claimants suing Associated Newspapers
On Wednesday the original post had disappeared from the platform, with a notice saying it had been deleted
