Fifteen Sri Lankan underworld figures with Interpol Red Notices against them are currently being held in custody in foreign countries, including Russia, Oman, India and Dubai, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament on Thursday (11).
He said the suspects will be repatriated to Sri Lanka once security procedures in the respective countries are concluded.
According to the minister, 11 organised criminals who had been hiding abroad have already been arrested and brought back to Sri Lanka between January 1 and today.
From January to September 10 this year, a total of 105 organised crimes have been reported, with 322 suspects arrested. These include 33 gunmen, 24 motorcycle riders, and 265 individuals accused of aiding and abetting.
The minister also revealed that 1,698 firearms have been seized so far this year. These include 58 T-56 rifles, 61 pistols, 40 revolvers, 169 12-bore guns, 33 home-made galkatas, six repeaters, and 1,331 gunpowder-based firearms, among other weapons.
Wijepala said Sri Lankan organised criminals are known to be hiding in countries such as the UAE, Italy, France, Switzerland, Indonesia, Canada, Russia, Oman and India to evade the law. He confirmed that efforts are underway to bring back the 15 arrested abroad, who have been identified as major criminals and drug traffickers.
