The rise in underworld criminal activity at present is the result of prolonged political protection afforded to the underworld by previous political elites, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha told a press conference in Colombo yesterday.
He said none of these underworld criminals are getting any support from the current administration. Legal action against them is being taken swiftly. What is now unfolding, he said, is the manifestation of internal conflicts among underworld criminal leaders.
He said there were several complications regarding the issuance of firearms to certain persons that had come to the attention of the Ministry of Defence. However, he said that many firearms had been surrendered, with the exception of 48 weapons.
Illegal firearms have not been issued under the current Government, although controversies surrounding their issuance under previous administrations remain, he said.
“We have initiated an audit within the Tri-Forces regarding the issuance of firearms without following due procedures,” he said. “This has been an issue for a prolonged period, and uncovering the full details may take some time.” However, he assured that the Ministry would uncover the facts, and while there may currently be an increase in firearm-related crime, he believes the situation would soon return to normal as efforts to seize the weapons continue.
Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya said the Police are ramping up its efforts to dismantle organised crime as political backing for notorious underworld figures wanes.
Weerasooriya said that high-profile criminals, such as Gonawala Sunil, Jurampitiya Amare, Wambotta, and Beddegana Sanjeewa, have long operated with the support of political figures. Some even found their way into the police force, he said. The era of political protection is over, with organised crime rings now struggling to function without their political allies. Many of the country’s top criminals have fled the country, fearing arrest, and are now operating from neighbouring countries, said Weerasooriya.
“These criminals can no longer carry out their activities within Sri Lanka except through their local followers,” he said. “Most of them have been remanded or fled the country.”
Weerasooriya said that they had identified two layers of organised crime – the criminals themselves and their political patrons. Police intelligence has been crucial in pinpointing those involved.
Despite the exodus of crime leaders, violence continues to erupt in Sri Lanka’s underworld. Last year, there were 75 shootings and 18 hacking deaths attributed to organised crime. This year, there had been 17 shootings and five persons were hacked to death.
“Of these, we have resolved 17 incidents,” Weerasooriya said. “But we’ve also found that some police officers and members of the military have been complicit, either directly or indirectly, in supporting these criminal activities.”
In response, the authorities have launched a special program to identify and arrest those involved, successfully detaining two police officers, one Army officer, seven Army deserters, and one Air Force member for their ties to organised crime.
Since the current administration took office in September 2024, the police have made substantial seizures of weapons and narcotics connected to organised crime, including 13 T-56 assault rifles, 21 pistols, 805 homemade firearms, 339 kilos of heroin, 97 kilos of cannabis and 6,430 litres of illegal alcohol.
Weerasooriya said that Sri Lanka has strong international cooperation in combatting drug trafficking, highlighting the repatriation of 19 fugitives with ties to organised crime who are now facing charges in Sri Lanka.
“Thanks to international support, we’ve been able to limit their access to other countries,” Weerasooriya said. “We’ve also issued 199 Red Notices through Interpol to bring the criminals back to Sri Lanka.”
“We are committed to eradicating these crime networks,” he said. “Our efforts are focused on bringing criminals to justice, no matter where they try to hide, he added.
