Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel and President Lanka Ambassadors forum UK /Sri Lanka

War on drugs and organized crime with the underworld

War on drugs has commenced again at a rapid rate in Sri Lanka and world over due to the escalation of drug and crime rates as a result of  fast communication skills,  adopting new modes of transport, capacity to generate large income with risk-taking, and various other methods and channels. The most dangerous aspect of this unfortunate scenario  is the rapid  rate of addiction and the impact on the social life, health, and the economy of the nation and the world over spreading rapidly hiding in international criminal centres in some parts of the world using as ‘’safe havens ‘’with a classic example of Dubai . Dealing in drugs is a crime anywhere and other  sad and dangerous aspect is the connection between drugs and underworld as both work together as the other side of the coin with illegal massive wealth generated from both ways. Drug menace is spread world over due to addiction and high turnover of big money.On previous occasions successive leaders of the country started war on Drugs, Bribery, Corruption and many including the underworld that has been short-lived with no long term results that applies to many parts of the world affected by the menace. Those who will be against the move to eradicate the menace would be the drug dealers, underworld, and bribe takers, godfathers of underworld and politicos who protect them. What prompted the former Minister and former  acting IGP to take  drastic steps   in good faith is the enormity of the menace which unfortunately  short lived on this campaign that  should have started long ago as the cancer is already set in  the entire country  possibly via body politics and connected politicos  in office and underworld with tentacles and network worldwide that  continues freely with blessings from the organized wrongdoers in the backseat of political power. How long this would continue is uncertain as this is not the first occasion such public shows have started by many on many occasions now it is time to   reactivate the process with vigour by those who have pledged a drastic change in the  system. Those who engage in preventive measures  obviously have  enemies  many obstacles  and obstructions to prevent and discourage operations  but encouragement and  blessings   from governance courts, civil society and media  is encouraging. 

Campaigns in right Direction?

When such a campaigns are  carried on the right direction whatever the reason  the right thinking citizen will defenitely  approve whoever  does such things  or taken such steps whatever the reason. Drug dealers in white collars or white clothes of Politicos are suspected to be at the backseat as common man has identified as the god fathers mostly benefited  b the mafia local and international ,who are still  in hiding. All peaceful and peace loving citizens are on pins fearing of life and property of them selves and loved ones with no relief and no hopes in sight with uncertainties affecting the life of the citizen, image of the country and the economy already in the lowest ebb with inflation and cost of rising uncontrolled due to weak governance. Common man or the neighbours fear to complain of the culprits out of fear of death as they show no mercy to informants and the punishment is so quick and severe and certain death and massacre of the family with no hesitation as the human value is so cheap and easy as it is a matter of a cocntract killing promptly executed by drug addicts pleading for more drugs. There appear to be no  relief and hopes on the citizen in fear of the underworld infighting, drug peddling, ransom in all scales, daylight robbery and killings on the road victimizing the young and old equally and we are not alone as many countries go through the same or similar fate in different  ways and degrees on various levels. Traditional and social media is Sr Lanka is still full of news on killings of all kinds drug peddling despite measures taken by the security forces which of course has become the world trend concentrated in some selected vulnerable countries.

International dimensions

 Philippine is a country that suffers from the same fate and President ‘’Rodrigo Dukarits’’ took  tough and drastic steeps to fight against drug and crime directly connected to law and order that has shattered the peace and peaceful living of the citizen that is followed with criticism world over yet no solutions are given or proposed. USA, Nigeria, many Latin American, Asian that includes India, Pakistan,Afghanistan  and many Asian countries go through the same fate helpless with no solution in sight. Fight against is not local it is with the powerful worldwide network with shipping airlines and worldwide organized crime groups and lords involved. Menace has spread and rooted far and wide with serious consequences all corners of the society the citizen has now felt through experience that has reached the doorstep. No one is safe at home or on the road due to the theft and robbery of criminals mostly drug addicts for drugs and murders of innocent civilians are reported in media with a note a drug addict is responsible for the crime which is  a common feature. Killings are common on the road during broad day light most of which are not traced and unresolved yet the detailed investigations reveal that a drug addiction being a root cause at certain stage of the crime. Out of hundreds of sad stories the case of a student of 11 years who stole money from the class teacher to purchase the drug Ice was questioned  by the Police until the person who got the student to addict on the drug as a part of his business was traced and dealing and investigated. This is happenings  near schools to find long term soft targets that shows the gravity of the danger faced on the society. Crime, underworld and drug trade are interconnected and there is elegance and connection to each other. All these need networks and organizations and generally link to each other in some form somewhere. Drug trade and underworld are criminl activities with local and international network linked to each other with necessity and enormous sums involved and all networks are equally powerful. Drug trade is international powerful with drug producing countries and the  network of distribution via air,sea, land post and various other means such as linked to human smuggle and bodily transmission parcel and post with modern IT developments. Drug lords find safe haven with the enormous sums accumulated from drug sale most notable in Dubai where investments of black money and living illegally is possible and some operate from Dubai, India ad the west due to the inefficiency of the Sri Lankan governance and officers and lacuna in the legal system the governance is incompetent or not ready to introduce and implement.

Powerful Worldwide

Drug trade is powerful worldwide especially in some countries and regions the governments are helplessly watching the situations. Sri Lanka we presume has gone too far that needs hard honest and definitive steps to curb or at least minimize the spread of the virous and the civil society is of the view that it is already too late for the fight against drugs that is directly connected to bribery and corruption also always backed by corrupt politicians without which the drug trade will not survive. The news on the fight against the drugs is warrying and horrifying considering the drugs and properties connected to is so huge which is obviously a small fraction of the sums possibly collected and in receipt continuously by sea, air, and many other ways with the leaders are not found yet with no signs or clues of themselves. Definitely this illegal trade can not flourish without the direct and indirect involvement of political godfathers playing a safe game with the enormous sums in the system only a minute fraction is found. Despite the organized suppression initiated by the minster in charge and the acting IGP the surge on killings, drug trade and underworld activities continues freely that is indicated by media and social media often of killing on the road by rival groups and the flourishing drug trade with active participation of the underworld now internalized with the fullest cooperation and pulling back by the drug and underworld lords directly as indirectly by various means with enormous  sums illegally accumulated as shown in the media of finding 3000 million in property and funds found in 6 days.

Drug and underworld Lorde, Corrupt Politicos and Government Servants and Security Forces

These groups individually and as groups responsible for the misery and the plight of the unsafe uncertain and pathetic situation  on the suffering gone through by the citizen in day to day life with no signs of the future and future of the country and the children they love so much. The machinery through which the fight on drugs and crime is the allegedly corrupt politicians, security forces and government servants said to be corrupt and inefficient, is the sad story yet true to be improved and reformed According to the Minister of Justice 45% of the drug confiscated to be turned to be flour in police custody which is worrying and surprising 40000 samples await orders for destruction that too may possibly turn to be flours sooner or later indicattes to what extent the cancer has spread length and beath. This is a classis c example of corruption and inefficient machinery through which the eradication process have to be implemented. Security forces come under departments headed by politicos as a part of the most inefficient government servants a frustrated dissatisfied lot, headed by corrupt politicos  dictated the magnitude of the struggle for justice.

International Network on Air, Sea, Land, Cyber and Other

International network is strong and organized on drugs and crime  of all kinds as it is a most lucrative trade led by super powers dealing in arms trade , many other crimes such as human trafficking, gold and counter smuggling and crimes, trade dealings,and modern hi- tec and practices such as easy cash which used in drug peddlers and ransom takers. International network of Sri Lankan governance is apparently  weaker  than the drug network as in the case of LTTE network more stronger than the government of UN network on anti terror campaign. The detections on airports in various ways are proof of the large scale of illegal import of drugs when the culprits vary the strategies using the power of bribery and corruption as in the other pats of the world with the international network active in operation using Sri Lanka as a Hub. Illicit drug trade on sea is easy in an island such as Sri Lanka when fishing is a main trade and  closeness to India and the opportunities to communicate with the other sailors and the amount of bribery and corruption in the drug trade capable of influencing  the crew of ships and boats with large sums to influence. With media publicity on combatting drug trade and the underworld there appear to be a powerful on the rate of killings and illicit drug trade and it is not known how long will it last and stable with the world network with over 30 culprits stationed in Dubai  India an many other countries active with the local network even vis remand prisons using easy cash and many other means and it is time to break the local and international network with the help of states international organizations and like minded citizens word lover, and it is time for every citizen to be active and vigilant in the fight against drugs and underworld.

Solution to the dangerous menace that  has spread as a cancer all over ?

There is a solution for any difficult issues and situations if there is a will, determination, and aim with a vision which does not appear still  in  sight to date to combat this  menace now in our doorstep, despite the joint effort by world over with the assistance on the United Nations – yet still unsuccessful in many parts of the globe that can not be solved in isolation unless there is a joint effort with consorted affects with determination. Citizen has moved for a change and decided as one for a change with changes in all aeras including peace and peaceful living which is the main aim of a developed human being denied to enjoy due to breakdown of law and order which is the main cause and root of the spread of crime and drug addicts led by war lords and selfish underworld unable to identify yet carrying on regardless. It is time the new governance gives top priority for restoration of law and order and rule of law strictly that will be beneficial to governance and development of the the nation giving equal priority. War on crime, drugs and underworld should be waged by all world citizens alike with a detournement d efforts and a proper plan of action ealiazing the danger everybody is confronted especially when we are on door steps of AI stage with modern platforms and everybody is armed with laptops, computers and large penetration of mobile phones which are most friendly productive and that if mis used especially by the undesirables. It is time UN intervenes with the states that has to be tricked down to the individuals and it is time for a effective and adoptable convention to be adopted that trifles down to the individual citizens. Sarathdw28@gmail.com