The 161-kilogram heroin consignment worth over Rs. 4 billion seized by the Navy last Thursday was transported to Sri Lankan waters under a commercial smuggling contract worth Rs. 50 million, according to investigations revealed by The Island on Saturday.
The individual who accepted the contract received an advance payment of Rs. 3 million, with the balance due upon delivery. That organiser has since disappeared, prompting an extensive manhunt by the Police Narcotics Bureau.
Iranian vessel connection
The drug shipment originated from an Iranian vessel operating in deep waters south of Sri Lanka. Four suspects were arrested by the Navy on April 16 while transporting the consignment aboard a trawler owned by a Matara-based fish trader. The heroin was concealed in six large fish tanks, packed in 161 one-kilogram units.
The vessel was brought to Dikkowita Harbour, where Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara inspected the seizure. The arrested suspects and drugs have been transferred to the Police Narcotics Bureau under DIG Ashoka Dharmasena for further investigation.
Source country unidentified
While the Iranian vessel served as the transfer point, authorities have not yet identified the country of origin for the narcotics. The contract-based structure of the operation — with advance payments and delivery-contingent balances — points to a sophisticated trafficking network operating across maritime boundaries.
The seizure adds to a string of maritime drug interdictions in southern waters. Nearly Rs. 50 billion worth of narcotics have been intercepted in the first four months of 2026, with 14 trawlers and 127 suspects apprehended.
