Police have arrested 156,456 suspects and seized nearly two tonnes of heroin since the launch of the “Rata Ekata” national anti-narcotics operation on October 30, 2025, the Police Media Division said on Friday — the first publicly disclosed aggregate figures from the NPP government’s flagship drug crackdown.
The cumulative tally, covering October 30, 2025 to April 23, 2026, lists 157,423 raids and seizures of 1,917 kg of heroin, 1,979 kg of crystal methamphetamine (“ice”), 271 kg of cocaine, 5,158 kg of cannabis, and 7,903,470 cannabis plants.
The heroin haul alone vastly exceeds the typical scale of single trafficking shipments, which usually involve 10 to 50 kilogrammes. The combined heroin and ice figure of nearly four tonnes points to sustained pressure across both inbound trafficking routes and domestic distribution networks during the operation’s first six months.
“Rata Ekata” — Sinhala for “country together” — was launched by the National People’s Power administration as a multi-agency operation coordinated by Police, the Special Task Force, the Police Narcotics Bureau, and other security units. It has run continuously since late October, with periodic local sweeps captured under the same statistical umbrella.
The Friday update comes as separate operations continue, including the arrest of an associate of organised criminal “Homagama Gagana” on April 24 with 12 kilogrammes of heroin worth Rs. 120 million.
The release does not itemise convictions, prosecutions or contraband destruction — figures that would let observers assess how many of the 156,456 arrests have advanced to court action.
