Lankan navy catches three men for 'smuggling ganja'

Three persons from Tamil Nadu were on Monday arrested by Sri Lankan Navy on the charge of attempting to smuggle 60 kgs of ganja in a boat, police said.

The three men from Nambuthulai, about 60 km from Rameswaram, in Ramanathapuram District were arrested after Sri Lankan Naval personnel intercepted their boat and found the narcotic, police said quoting information received by them.

The ganja, worth lakhs of rupees, was grown in Kerala and allegedly being smuggled to Sri Lanka from here, they added.

In September last, six people, including an Indian, had been arrested by Sri Lankan Navy with over two kgs of heroin in their possession. Following this, the Lankan Navy had stepped up vigil in its northern seas to prevent smuggling of drug mainly from Tamil Nadu.

Sri Lankan Navy’s northern Commander Rear Admiral Piyal de Silva had then said 612 kg of Kerala ganja coming to Lanka from India had been detected during the last 18 months.