Sri Lanka Customs says drug trafficking networks are increasingly using children, elderly individuals and people with serious medical conditions to smuggle narcotics into the country.

Speaking on the latest trends in drug smuggling, Deputy Director of the Customs Narcotics Control Unit Nuwan Abeynayake said the pattern has become more noticeable in recent weeks.

“During the past week or two, we have observed a trend of using young people and individuals with specific illnesses for drug trafficking operations,” he said.

According to Abeynayake, traffickers believe that using children, elderly persons or people with disabilities can help them evade detection by law enforcement officers.

“Traffickers think they can mislead officers and bring drugs into the country more easily by using children, elderly people or persons with special conditions. However, under the new procedures in place at the airport, we are able to identify them,” he said.

He revealed that Customs officers had recently arrested several suspects arriving from African countries, including a 79-year-old Angolan woman living with HIV.

“During our investigations, we were able to identify their health conditions through medical reports and medication found in their possession,” he said.

Abeynayake noted, however, that Customs has not yet encountered Sri Lankan nationals being used in a similar manner.

He also said authorities have identified new methods being used to smuggle narcotics into the country and are continuing to strengthen detection measures at ports of entry. (Newswire)

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