US, Sri Lanka team up to bust Pakistan-based drug network

A Pakistan-based trafficking network attempting to move ICE through Sri Lanka to international markets was disrupted during a joint counternarcotics operation, according to the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka.

Acting on intelligence developed between August 14 and 29 by the DEA’s Foreign Counterparts Unit and Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force Special Investigations Cell, the Sri Lanka Police Narcotics Bureau intercepted suspicious maritime containers arriving from Pakistan, the Embassy stated.

The seizure yielded approximately 463 kilograms of ICE concealed in bath towels, with an estimated street value of USD 21 million. Several suspects, including Pakistani nationals, were taken into custody.

The US Embassy stressed that the operation underscores the strength of the US–Sri Lanka partnership in dismantling transnational criminal organisations that fund terrorism and threaten communities in both countries.

This cooperation builds on longstanding training and technical assistance provided to Sri Lanka Police and Customs through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to working with Sri Lanka and regional partners to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organisations, deny them revenue from illicit drug trafficking, and protect citizens from the dangers of narcotics.