Sri Lanka partners with Pakistan to tackle drug trafficking

The Sri Lankan government has pledged deeper cooperation with its Pakistani counterpart to tackle drug trafficking, an official said here on Thursday.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed by the two countries to combat the problem, which has increased over the past one year, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We came into power pledging to wipe out the drug menace and arrests for drug possession have increased over the past two months," cabinet spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne told reporters.

Fresh crackdowns have been made over the last few weeks with key members of the former government also accused of links with the drug trade, the minister pointed out.

Last year, over 200 kg of heroin was detected by law enforcement authorities in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's government earlier expressed fear that the island was becoming a trans-shipment hub for drugs after police records revealed that 53,000 people had been arrested for drug offences in 2013.

In 2011, the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board warned in its annual report that the country was under increasing threat from drug smuggling.