Crime

The Southern Province has recorded the highest number of student drug addicts and underworld activities in the country, while over 230,000 school students in the Colombo District have also fallen victim to drug addiction, Prisons Commissioner Jagath Weerasinghe revealed. Addressing students at the Godapitiya National School in Akuressa during an awareness programme on drug eradication, Weerasinghe said 230,980 schoolchildren in the Colombo District of the Western Province were found to be addicted to drugs — a figure that reflects the alarming spread of substance abuse among youth. “However, the Southern Province surpasses all others and is the region pushing the country towards this crisis,” he said. He further noted that the South also ranks number one for underworld activities, emphasizing a strong connection between organized crime and the rising student drug problem. Weerasinghe also revealed that several young children are currently in prisons. “There are 42 children below the age of five who are in prison due to the wrongdoings of their mothers. They are allowed to stay with their mothers until the age of five. After that, we have to separate them which is one of the saddest situations we face,” he added.