Police have arrested a person on suspicion over an incident where 54-year-old restaurant owner Thushara Sampath, was shot dead near his business place at Nagoda, on 09 October. The arrest was made at Navaladi, in the Batticaloa area. Police commandos arrested him while he was travelling in a bus bound for Batticaloa.

The suspected gunman was produced before the Valaichenai Magistrate court and police obtained a detention order for five days.

The wife of the businessman, who received gunshot injuries, succumbed to her injuries yesterday (11) while receiving treatment at the Nagoda hospital. She was 52.

The two victims were shot around 7.40 a.m., on 9 Oct. Two unidentified persons arrived on a motorcycle and one of them opened fire with a T-56 assault rifle before fleeing the scene.

Sources said that the businessman had been in contact with a person identified as Bombuwala Naveen widely believed to be a narcotics dealer. Sources said he had lost an eye a few years ago as a result of an acid attack.

Meanwhile, police said that two close associates of Bombuwala Naveen had been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation.

Sixteen former ministers and three former state ministers have been convicted in cases filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) since the incumbent government came to power, Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala has told Parliament.

According to Watagala, CIABOC investigations, between October 2024 and October 2026, led to the arrest of a former chief minister, four wives of former ministers, seven children of former ministers and six former local government chairpersons. A total of 226 people have been arrested over bribery and corruption allegations during this period, 55 of them politicians.

Watagala has attributed the pace of the investigations to government measures to strengthen the independence of state institutions.

Sri Lanka has secured Tier 2 status in the United States Department of State’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for the fifth consecutive year, reflecting the continued efforts of the government of Sri Lanka to strengthen the national response to Trafficking in Persons.

The text of the Defence Ministry statement: “This recognition reflects ongoing efforts to improve coordination, victim protection, law enforcement action, prevention initiatives and institutional cooperation in combating human trafficking.

The National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (NAHTTF), chaired by the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, AVM Sampath Thuyakontha, continues to provide national-level coordination among relevant government institutions responsible for prevention, protection, investigation, prosecution, migration management, labour, child protection and victim assistance.

During the reporting period, Sri Lanka took several important steps to strengthen its anti-human trafficking framework. A major milestone was the launch of the National Strategic Action Plan to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking 2026-2030, which provides the national framework for coordinated action over the next five years.

Sri Lanka also continued to strengthen its district-level response through the establishment and expansion of District Anti-Trafficking Forums, improving coordination among local authorities, law enforcement agencies and other relevant institutions. These mechanisms support the early identification of victims, improved referrals and more coordinated responses at the district level.

Further efforts included awareness and capacity-building programmes for frontline officers, strengthened cooperation among member institutions, engagement with international and regional partners, and increased attention to emerging forms of trafficking, including technology-facilitated recruitment, online exploitation and forced criminality.

Sri Lanka’s continued placement in Tier 2 recognises the progress made and the sustained efforts undertaken to combat human trafficking, while highlighting the importance of further strengthening the national response.

The NAHTTF remains committed to addressing remaining challenges and to further strengthening prevention, victim protection, investigation, prosecution and inter-agency coordination.

Further, securing Tier 2 status for five consecutive years reflects the collective efforts of government institutions and other stakeholders involved in Sri Lanka’s response to trafficking in persons. This achievement reinforces the importance of sustained commitment, continued cooperation and further progress towards effectively preventing and combating human trafficking.”