COLOMBO, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lanka Navy on Wednesday arrested two people attempting to smuggle drugs into the island country through the sea north of Point Pedro, in northern Sri Lanka, the navy media unit said.

The navy said the two suspects were arrested for possessing 86.4 kg of Kerala cannabis, a type of illegal drug, during a routine patrol carried out by naval officers in the northern seas.

Naval officers had initially spotted a suspicious boat movement in the northern seas and upon inspection had recovered the drugs from the boat.

"The stock of cannabis had been packed into two parcels and it is believed that the suspects have attempted to smuggle them into the country from India," the navy said in a statement.

The arrested suspects, cannabis and the boat were handed over to the Kankesanthurai Police, in the north for onward legal action.

The navy said that so far this year, naval officers had seized 442.2 kg of Kerala cannabis on six separate occasions, during special operations conducted in northern seas.

"Going in parallel with the government's initiatives for the prevention of drug abuse, the navy has introduced a wide range of tactical missions in the seas around the island that has paved the way to seize large hauls of narcotics this year," the navy said.