August 25, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lankan authorities have launched legal and investigative action targeting assets worth approximately Rs.3.878 billion that are believed to have been accumulated through organised criminal activity over the past two years and the early part of 2026.
Police Media Spokesperson Assistant Superintendent F. U. Wootler said the authorities were stepping up efforts to disrupt criminal organisations by going after the wealth generated through their alleged unlawful activities.
The initiative is intended to weaken the financial foundations of organised crime by identifying property and other valuables suspected of being purchased or accumulated using proceeds from illegal operations.
According to Wootler, legal proceedings were initiated in 2024 to bring assets valued at around Rs.1.549 billion under State control. The property identified during that period included cash, gold jewellery, vehicles, high-value houses and parcels of land allegedly connected to criminal activity.
A similar value of assets — approximately Rs.1.549 billion — was targeted the following year, with preliminary legal measures launched in 2025 to facilitate their potential confiscation.
Authorities have continued the drive into 2026, with assets estimated at a further Rs.839 million identified during the first several months of the year for possible seizure.
The police said the process is being pursued through the relevant legal mechanisms, with assets subject to investigation and court proceedings before any final transfer to the State.
The latest figures indicate a growing emphasis on financial investigations as part of Sri Lanka’s wider campaign against organised crime. Rather than focusing solely on suspects and criminal cases, authorities are increasingly seeking to identify the property and wealth allegedly underpinning criminal networks.
Police are expected to continue tracing assets suspected of being connected to illegal activities as investigations into organised crime groups expand.