January 27, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s expanded offensive against organised crime is beginning to show tangible results, with several criminal figures based overseas now indicating a readiness to return and surrender voluntarily, according to information received by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala, disclosed that the CID has been officially notified of this emerging trend, suggesting that pressure from recent enforcement efforts is being felt beyond the country’s borders. He made the remarks while chairing a meeting of the Colombo Public Security Committee yesterday.
Addressing officials at the meeting, the Deputy Minister said a long-planned national public security structure has now been fully put in place and is ready for active deployment. This framework brings together a National Policy Committee, along with district, divisional and community-level public security committees, forming a coordinated network operating across the island.
He explained that the emphasis has now shifted from establishing institutions to taking direct action, using this nationwide system to confront organised criminal activity more effectively. Particular attention, he said, is being paid to dismantling narcotics supply chains that have operated in Sri Lanka for decades.
Mr Watagala noted that these networks had historically thrived with political protection, allowing them to become deeply embedded over time. He said the situation has changed markedly under the current administration, with law enforcement agencies now tracing drug operations to their highest levels.
Investigations have revealed that many of the most influential figures controlling the trade are based overseas, prompting the government to extend its operations internationally. The Deputy Minister confirmed that action is now being taken through global law enforcement mechanisms, including red notice procedures, to pursue these individuals abroad.
Against this backdrop, he said, a number of foreign-based suspects have contacted the CID, signalling their intention to surrender. The Deputy Minister attributed this shift to a growing recognition among organised criminals that escape routes are rapidly closing as the net tightens both locally and internationally.
