Tangalle’s Dark Turn: From Beach Paradise to Drug Hub

Tangalle, long known for its beaches and tourist getaways, is now in the spotlight for a very different reason. Police today uncovered a massive narcotics haul that has set the South buzzing with speculation and fear.

The seizure included 245 kilos of heroin, 380 kilos of ICE, five revolvers, and a T-56 rifle, all discovered in three lorries. Two dead bodies were also linked to the raid.

Acording to Police Spokesman ASP F. U. Wootler, the first lorry was found at a house in Seenimodara where two bodies were discovered alongside a stockpile of narcotics, suspected to be ICE. One of the victims is believed to have died from poisoning. Shortly after, a second lorry was located near a service station in Tangalle, holding more heroin, ICE, and weapons. A third lorry was later recovered near the same house, also carrying narcotics.

Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala confirmed that more than 600 kilos of narcotics in total were seized, calling it one of the biggest drug hauls in recent years. He said investigations are ongoing.

Locals are now whispering that Tangalle, once a sleepy coastal town, has become a key point in the underworld’s supply chain. The scale of the operation and the presence of weapons suggest organised networks with deep roots in the South. What was once a tourist haven now faces the stigma of being labelled a drug hub, and the question everyone is asking is whether this was just the tip of a much larger iceberg.