Anti-narcotics agents from the United States and Sri Lanka seized 463 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine valued at $21 million following a joint operation targeting a Pakistani drug network, according to Sri Lanka Police.
Joint Operation and Seizure Details at Colombo Port
The operation, conducted between August 14 and August 29, tracked shipping containers originating from Pakistan, according to a statement from the US Embassy in Colombo. Law enforcement officers intercepted a container that arrived at the Port of Colombo over the weekend, finding the synthetic drug concealed inside shipments of bath towels, according to police deputy inspector-general Ashoka Dharmasena. The drugs were intended for international markets via Sri Lanka, according to the US Embassy.
Sri Lankan authorities arrested two Pakistani men and one local man in connection with the seizure, according to Dharmasena. The operation involved collaboration between the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s office and the Sri Lanka Police Narcotics Bureau, as noted in the embassy statement.
Partnership Against Transnational Crime
The US Embassy in Colombo emphasized the cooperative nature of the bust, stating that the action highlights the strength of the partnership between the United States and Sri Lanka in dismantling transnational criminal organizations that fund terrorism and threaten communities in both countries.
Sri Lanka has maintained an ongoing anti-narcotics drive since October 2025, which has resulted in the seizure of nearly 14 tonnes of illegal drugs, according to Dharmasena. That total haul includes methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.
Broader Drug Trafficking Context in Sri Lanka
Addressing Parliament, Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala stated that the majority of illegal drugs smuggled into the island nation by sea originate in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Wijepala noted that authorities estimate there are approximately 400,000 drug users within the country of 22 million people.
Law enforcement efforts in the country target various smuggling routes and networks. In October 2024, a Sri Lankan court sentenced ten Iranian men to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to heroin smuggling. Historically, Sri Lanka’s largest single seizure of narcotics occurred in December 2016, when customs officials discovered 800 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside a shipping container of timber destined for India, according to Agence France-Presse.
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