August 14, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP), Priyantha Weerasuriya, has issued a stark warning to those in political circles who are allegedly shielding criminal elements, declaring that individuals offering protection to underworld figures and narcotics traffickers have already been identified and will soon be held accountable under the law.
Addressing the media after formally taking office, IGP Weerasuriya called for an overhaul of the country’s legal framework, stating that the current laws are inadequate to meet the scale and complexity of the criminal landscape now facing Sri Lanka. He noted that while raids and enforcement operations are regularly conducted, the legal limitations often prevent these actions from having lasting impact.
According to the IGP, discussions have already taken place with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Minister of Justice, and the Minister of Public Security. All parties have been informed that without urgent legal reform, sustained operations against drug syndicates and organised crime will continue to falter.
Work is now underway to draft new legislation that will empower law enforcement agencies to dismantle entrenched criminal networks more effectively. These laws, he said, will specifically target those who repeatedly engage in criminality and corruption, regardless of their social or political standing.
Weerasuriya also noted that Sri Lanka has received strong backing from the international community in this regard, with ongoing efforts to deepen collaboration and intelligence-sharing across borders. He highlighted that much of the recent surge in violent crime, including contract-style shootings, is being coordinated from abroad by criminals using local proxies.
Disturbingly, the IGP disclosed that members of these syndicates include not just civilians but also former military personnel and even individuals from within the police service itself. A sweeping internal inquiry has already been launched to identify and root out corrupt elements within the police ranks.
“We are initiating a phased strategy—first to restore discipline within the police force, and then to drive a broader societal clean-up,” he said, signalling a zero-tolerance stance toward law enforcement officers found to be aiding criminal enterprises.
On the matter of illegal arms circulation, the IGP acknowledged that a worrying number of firearms remain in civilian hands. These include weapons believed to have originated from former LTTE caches, the armed forces, thefts from police armouries, and other undisclosed sources. Investigations into the provenance and distribution of these weapons are actively ongoing.
He added that any police officer found complicit in drug or criminal activities will face both disciplinary proceedings and criminal prosecution. “There will be no room for compromise—those who are found guilty will be removed from service and charged accordingly,” he said.
