News:2022-01-01/Report/nddcb-drug-related-statistics-2021-kerala-cannabis-tracked-as-separate-category

Sri Lanka·

NDDCB Drug Related Statistics 2021: Kerala Cannabis tracked as separate category

The NDDCB Research Division published its Drug Related Statistics for 2021, documenting 110,031 drug-related arrests island-wide. The report is significant for explicitly separating 'Cannabis' (33,171 arrests; 10,107 kg seized) from 'Kerala Cannabis' (11,068 arrests; 5,521 kg seized) as distinct statistical categories — confirming the Sri Lankan government officially tracks Indian-origin cannabis as a separate substance class. By district, Kerala Cannabis arrests were concentrated in Colombo (5,386; 49%), followed by Puttalam (1,033; 9.3%), Matara (816; 7.3%), Anuradhapura (625; 5.6%), Vavuniya (572; 5.1%), and Mannar (543; 5.0%). Notably, Mannar and Vavuniya reported zero arrests for domestic cannabis but substantial KG arrests, indicating these northern districts function primarily as entry corridors for Indian-origin cannabis rather than domestic cultivation zones. By province, the Western Province accounted for 54% of all KG arrests, followed by the Southern Province (11%) and the Northern Province (10%). Total cannabis seizures (domestic plus Kerala) reached 15,628 kg, of which Kerala Cannabis constituted 35%. Heroin remained the leading drug by arrests (50,412; 46%), with methamphetamine emerging rapidly (13,720; 12%).

Source: https://www.nddcb.gov.lk/Docs/research/statistics_report_2021.pdf