May 14, Colombo (LNW): In response to growing concerns over criminal activities, particularly drug trafficking, linked to temporary residences, law enforcement authorities conducted a nationwide operation spanning two days, gathering data on over 178,600 temporary residents.
Initiated under the directive of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon, the operation took place over the weekend of May 11 and 12, targeting individuals residing in rented accommodations outside their permanent police jurisdictions.
Operating in accordance with Section 76 of the Police Ordinance Act, the police aimed to gather and verify information on temporary residents within each Grama Niladhari division.
The operation yielded data on 112,963 individuals from 37,183 families residing in rented houses and on lease, alongside information on 34,133 individuals from 10,755 families residing in rented rooms.
Among the recorded individuals were 31,517 temporary residents, including house watchmen, housemaids, and caregivers.
Each individual’s information will undergo thorough scrutiny, cross-referencing with databases such as the Arrested Monitoring Information System (AMIS), the Automated Fingerprints Identification System (AFIS), and the Police Narcotics Bureau database to ascertain any potential involvement in criminal activities.
