58 organised crime groups operating with 1,400 individuals islandwide
There have been 17 reported incidents of shooting and five fatal stabbings, totalling 22 incidents so far in 2025, according to Police statistics.
Addressing a special media briefing yesterday (22), Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya noted that investigations into the 17 shooting incidents had already been completed.
“The issue extends beyond criminal networks, as some members of law enforcement and the military have also been implicated. As a result, 11 personnel from the Police and tri-forces have been arrested for their alleged involvement in criminal activities. This includes two from the Police, one from the Army, seven Army deserters, and one from the Air Force,” he said.
Commenting on the support of international agencies, Acting IGP Weerasooriya expressed his satisfaction on the cooperation and support received through Interpol through which many arrests had been made.
“We have also garnered significant support from international agencies, particularly Interpol, which has been instrumental in our efforts. To date, 199 Red Notices, 90 Blue Notices, and four Yellow Notices have been issued.
“These notices target not only individuals involved in organised crime but also those engaged in other illicit activities. For instance, on Friday (21) we successfully apprehended the individual responsible for the OnmaxDT fraud case,” he said.
Acting IGP Weerasooriya said that a reward of Rs. 1 million would be given to any person providing credible information leading to the recovery of T-56 assault rifles, as part of an intensified crackdown on illegal firearms.
To facilitate public cooperation, a dedicated hotline (1997) has been established for individuals to report any relevant information.
“The public has a responsibility to provide information to the Police. Police personnel alone cannot be performing this duty by themselves without the support of the public,” he added.
In addition, the law enforcement authorities have identified 58 criminal syndicates operating across the country, with approximately 1,400 individuals linked to these networks.
“Many of these people have already fled the country in fear of being arrested by the Police. Some of them had previously surrendered, but were protected by political figures and because the political support is no longer accorded, they are attempting to go abroad. These godfathers operate from abroad and provide directives to their local henchmen,” he said.
The Acting IGP also provided information into the statistics of firearms confiscated since the new Government took office.
“Since the Government came into power, a significant number of firearms have been seized and placed under Police custody, including 13 T-56 weapons, 21 pistols, 15 revolvers, one AK-47, 805 shotguns, 75 Bora-12 rifles, 10 ‘gal katas,’ seven repeaters, and four other types of firearms,” he noted.
He claimed that such operations were typically linked to smuggling or drug-related offences and went on to issue the statistics of drugs confiscated in the year so far.
“Last year, we successfully seized the largest quantity of illicit substances on record and since this Government took office, our efforts have faced no obstructions. Notably, no political figures have interfered and we are well aware of the circumstances prior to this administration.
“Among the confiscated items are 309 kg of heroin, 97 kg of cannabis, 123 kg of cannabis seeds, 312 kg of cannabis plants, 383 kg of methamphetamine (ice), and 6,430 litres of illicit liquor, all of which are now in Police custody,” he said.
Additionally, the Acting IGP stated that the Western and Southern Provinces had been accorded much higher security owing to the high number of crimes taking place in these regions.
“The Western and Southern Provinces are the most prone to crime and therefore we have already allocated additional attention and security to these regions. We have especially provided additional security outside of the courts, but we are unable to provide security inside court premises without the approval of the courts. We are planning to discuss with the courts and provide better security inside court premises in the future.”