Colombo, May 8 (Agency) The Sri Lankan navy said Sunday it had seized 240 kg of drugs, suspected to be heroin, in a vessel 630 nautical miles south of Sri Lanka. The navy also arrested seven foreign nationals during the recent operation in coordination with the Police Narcotics Bureau. The street value of the drugs was estimated to be around 4.8 billion Sri Lankan rupees (13.5 million U.S. dollars).
The vessel initially attempted to escape and sustained damage and sank while being dragged ashore, the navy said. In April, the Sri Lankan navy seized about 325 kg of narcotics in seas off Dodanduwa, Galle in southern Sri Lanka and the street value of the drugs was believed to be over 6.2 billion Sri Lankan rupees (17.4 million U.S. dollars).