COLOMBO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan police arrested five persons on Tuesday along with 90 kg of heroin with a street value of 5.5 million U.S. dollars, a police spokesman said.

Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara told Xinhua that there were three foreign nationals among the five persons who were arrested in the Colombo suburb called "Kollupitiya."

The special task force, which is the elite force of Sri Lankan police, participated in the raid.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday launched a drug eradication week in all national schools across the island country to prevent the drug menace.

The president said he would not relent in his efforts to curb drug trafficking and he would seek assistance from the Philippines in the fight against drug menace.