At least 40 persons, including four females, have been arrested at Sinhapura in Wellampitiya, while in possession of drugs and weapons.The group was arrested during a pre-dawn joint operation carried out by the Police, Special Task Force (STF) and the Sri Lanka Army on Sunday (26 Nov.).A total of 138 police personnel and 200 Army personnel carried out the raid, during which 61 houses and 196 persons were searched.Various narcotic substances including heroin and crystal methamphetamine (ICE), illicit alcohol, swords and other weaponry, along with 12 mobile phones, were recovered during the raid, which had been carried out on the directives of Western Province Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Deshabandu Tennakoon, Western Province DIG (South) Gayanga Marapana and Western Province South District Crime Division Superintendent of Police (SP) Lalith Abeysekara.