Is New Custom Ordinance Act to Increase or Decrease Narcotics Inflow?

The Customs Officers Association is against implementation of the new bill, which lead to lenient punishment. A member of the Customs Officers Association, DR, Kumaranayake  said,  discussions will be held with President Maithripala Sirisena regarding  the amendments to the Customs Ordinance Act. Discussions were also held with the Minister of Special Assignments Sarath Amunugama in this regard.

MS Kumaranayake stressed that with the implementation of the new bill, the perpetrators would only receive a lenient sentence and questioned as to why such an addition would be made at all.

Dr Kumaranayake said according to existing law if an individual is found to be in possession of a specific weight of narcotics they will be sentenced to life in prison, but according to this draft bill if an individual entering the country is nabbed with narcotics, they will only be sentenced to a maximum of six years in prison.

He said the Customs Association is  at a loss to understand  the necessity for such additions to the draft bill.

Dr Kumaranayake stressed that if this draft bill is passed hastily this country’s security, revenue and tax revenue are all at risk of depleting.

Whose benefit this amendment?