Police officers have been given instructions to take strict action against drug dealers, addicts and those involved in such activities, in a bid to curb the increasing level of drug-related offences, Western Province Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Deshabandu Tennakoon.Speaking to the media in Gampaha, the SDIG stated that due to the significant increase in the number of drug-related offenders and addicts in several areas, maintaining law and order has become a tedious task for police officers.He further attributed the recent increase in the number of criminal offences, including burglaries, car thefts and even domestic violence to the rise in the number of persons addicted to narcotic substances.Accordingly, police officers have been instructed to take strict measures against such offenders, he said, adding that measures are underway to conduct the ‘Saviya’ awareness programme in several areas across the island.SDIG Tennakoon recently launched the ‘Saviya’ awareness programme for police officers, educating them on how to tackle Sri Lanka’s drug-related issue. The programme has been conducted in the Colombo, Kelaniya, Nugegoda and Mt.

Lavinia police divisions thus far, while measures are currently underway to extend it to the Negombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Panadura police divisions, SDIG Deshabandu Tennakoon said.“The initial steps for this are currently underway, and the workshops will likely take place within the first week of September”, he said in this regard.