2026-02-19 / Debate (Continued): Judicature (Amendment) Bill and Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Bill - Committee and Third Reading 2026-02-19
## Summary
Hon. Chathuri Gangani spoke in support of two legislative amendments — to the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance and the Judicial Organization Act — designed to criminalise drug manufacture, possession, and trafficking on the high seas, and to vest jurisdiction over such maritime offences in the High Court. She contextualised the amendments by referencing Sri Lanka's position as a transshipment hub in the Eastern Indian Ocean, citing UNODC data and a sharp domestic increase in drug-related arrests from 97,416 in 2020 to 228,450 in 2024. The speaker highlighted the disproportionate impact on youth and women, and noted early results from the Government's "Whole Country Together – Get Out" anti-narcotics operation, including significant drug seizures and arrests made through INTERPOL cooperation with several countries.
Hon. Deputy Chairperson, today’s two amendments principally aim to suppress dangerous drug trafficking at sea. The Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance is amended to criminalize manufacture, possession, and trafficking on the high seas. The Judicial Organization Act is amended so that all offences committed at sea can be tried and determined by the High Court of the Republic.
Our maritime region is a busy corridor; around 80% of global energy cargo moves by sea routes, and the Indian Ocean is the world’s third-largest oceanic region. According to UNODC’s 2024 report, drug trafficking is prevalent in the Eastern Indian Ocean, with Sri Lanka and the Maldives functioning as transshipment and distribution hubs—especially along our southern and northern coasts.
Over decades, drug abuse has spread across every corner and social stratum. UNODC’s 2025 figures say about 316 million people globally are affected; drug-use disorders rose by 13% by 2025. In Sri Lanka, there were 97,416 arrests related to drug use and trafficking in 2020; by 2024 it had risen to 228,450. These numbers are lives: over 64% of prison inmates are inside due to these poisons; the 18–24 age group is a principal victim. Families lose children; parents lose children and children lose parents.
Among those over 30 arrested in 2024, 13,621 were for heroin, 20,076 for cannabis, and 11,494 for ice. Women are increasingly affected: cannabis-related arrests of women rose from 326 in 2020 to 621 in 2024; heroin-related from 260 to 530. Past authorities cultivated ties with criminal networks, worsening the crisis.
A mother once begged me to help save her only child by jailing him because of drug addiction—that is the depth of suffering we have witnessed. In response, the Government launched the “Whole Country Together – Get Out” national operation. Within just three months, we seized over 300 kg of heroin, over 1,280 kg of ice, over 6 kg of cocaine, over 2,341 kg of cannabis, and over 44 kg of hashish, and arrested many major traffickers. Through INTERPOL cooperation, suspects linked to underworld and drug networks in Indonesia, the UAE, Nepal and elsewhere have been apprehended. Thousands are undergoing rehabilitation under a national program with the necessary legal framework. By passing these amendments today, we take another step toward ending this scourge.
Thank you.