COLOMBO, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka on Tuesday called on countries to unite to eradicate drug smuggling across international borders.
Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake told a media briefing that Sri Lanka had become a transit point for major drug cartels due to the prolonged illicit activities of the Tamil Tiger rebels.
The minister said the rebels had funded the war by allowing illegal transactions to take place in the former war-torn north. Even though the extremist group was eradicated, residual parties continued to conduct drug trafficking activities.
Sri Lanka's geographical location had made it a strategically placed locality for major drug cartels to utilize as a transit hub to carry out their smuggling operations, Ratnayake noted.
He said many drug shipments travelling along the eastern sea routes bypassed Sri Lanka, making it a prime location for the illegitimate sale of narcotics.
The minister said the government, officials and forces were committed to preventing drugs from entering the country and called on countries to work in unity to eradicate the drug menace.
