News
Advance phone jamming devices to be installed in prisons
By Norman Palihawadane
In a bid to bolster security across the country’s prisons and to prevent inmates operating their criminal empires from within, authorities have announced the implementation of a special security programme, which includes the installation of advanced jamming devices to disrupt mobile phone signals within prison premises.
The move comes in the wake of the recent assassination of notorious underworld figure Ganemulle Sanjeewa, who was shot dead inside a courtroom. The incident has underscored the urgent need to tighten security measures in correctional facilities, senior prison sources said.
A senior prison officer said that jammers had already been installed in some prisons, but their effectiveness had been limited due to structural challenges within the buildings. That had allowed inmates to maintain contact with external parties, enabling them to continue operating drug networks and orchestrating crimes from behind bars.
The Ministry of Defence has directed the Department of Prisons to upgrade the existing jamming technology and strengthen overall security measures. According to sources, the inefficiency of current jammers has been a significant loophole, with frequent reports of mobile phones being discovered in high-security facilities, such as Boossa, where high-profile suspects are detained.
Official figures show that Sri Lanka currently operates 28 prisons, including 10 open-air detention centres, housing a total of 29,500 inmates, of whom 1,200 are women. The new security measures aim to curb the use of mobile devices, which have been instrumental in facilitating organised crime from within prisons.
Prison authorities said that the upgraded jamming devices will be designed to effectively block all connections between mobile devices inside prisons and external signal sources. This initiative is expected to significantly disrupt the ability of inmates to communicate with outside networks, thereby reducing their capacity to engage in illegal activities.
The decision to adopt advanced technology reflects the government’s commitment to addressing long-standing security challenges within the prison system. Officials expressed confidence that the new measures will enhance safety and prevent further misuse of communication devices by detainees.
As the programme rolls out, authorities will also focus on addressing structural issues in prison buildings to ensure the jamming devices function optimally, said the sources.
In a swift search and rescue (SAR) operation, the Sri Lanka Navy on 22 Jun 2026 rendered assistance to a one-day fishing trawler that had failed to return to its intended destination.
Reportedly, the fishing trawler and its 02 crew members ran into trouble due to adverse weather conditions off the north coast of the island. The rescue mission was launched
immediately following an alert from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources regarding the overdue trawler.
Responding to the distress call, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo, coordinated the deployment of naval craft for the SAR operation.
During the operation, naval personnel located the distressed trawler and its 02 fishermen in the seas off the Analaitivu Island and they were brought to safety.
Maintaining a round-the-clock vigil, the Sri Lanka Navy, through the coordination of MRCC Colombo, remains constantly prepared to deploy assets and extend vital lifesaving assistance to the naval and fishing communities facing perils within the Sri
Lankan Search and Rescue Region.
The NPP government has not taken a final decision regarding filling of the vacancies in the judiciary.
A group of Opposition MPs, led by SJB leader Sajith Premadasa, on 12 June, requested Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremeratne to take up the issue of judicial vacancies with President Dissanayake. Opposition sources said that there were four vacancies, each in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, and the inordinate delay had adversely affected the judiciary.
Government sources indicated that there was no change in the status quo as regards filling of vacancies. Referring to the government proposal to extend the retirement age of judges, authoritative sources said that no final decision had been taken yet.
SJB lawmaker Dayasiri Jayasekera told The Island that they would raise the issue in Parliament this week.
He said that the deliberate delay in making appointments to superior courts and the move to extend the retirement age couldn’t be taken separately.
The MP noted that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the Lawyers’ Collective, the Colombo High Court Lawyers’ Association, Colombo Magistrate’s Court Lawyers’ Association and the Bar Association of Badulla had opposed the government move.
There hadn’t been any public statements in support of the government move, MP Jayasekera said, urging the government to end uncertainty in the judiciary.
by Shamindra Ferdinando
SJB leader Sajith Premadasa has invited the UNP and other political parties to join his party. Premadasa, who is also the leader of the Opposition, has emphasised that the UNP and the SJB could reach a consensus on policies but his party wouldn’t, under any circumstances, accept whatever formula to share positions. Premadasa said so, speaking to the media over the weekend, after meeting the Mahanayaka Thera of the Malwatta Chapter of the Siyam Nikaya Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera.
A statement issued by the Opposition Leader’s Office quoted MP Premadasa as having extended an invitation to all political parties to give up extremist policies and join the SJB.
The SJB leader alleged that the NPP government feared facing elections and that was the reason for the inordinate delay in holding Provincial Council polls. PC polls were last held in 2012, 2013 and 2014, on a staggered basis. Premadasa said that if PC polls were held his party would definitely win the majority of PCs.Premadasa also urged the government to reduce electricity tariffs and fuel prices.
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