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Five gangs operating under single command: President

Published

12 months ago

2025/03/1

Thilina Walpola

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake

By Saman Indrajith

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday said that security authorities were conducting probes based on reports that five different gangs involved in recent crimes had been acted under one person’s command.

Speaking in Parliament at the end of the debate on expenditure heads of the Ministries of Defence and Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs in his capacity as the Minister of Defence, the President said an analysis of five recent crimes revealed that except for the Minuwangoda shooting incident, the others had been carried out by five gangs. There was suspicion they acted simultaneously under a single command. Additionally, there were concerns that similar activations could occur in Batticaloa and the Northern Province, as such groups were previously established by past regimes to operate on command, the President said.

The President said that the coordinated attacks appears to be part of a well-organized plot at a time when some hoped the government would collapse due to economic crisis, etc.

The NPP supported the abolition of the Prevention of Terrorism (PTA), but it would only do so until a robust legal framework is established to tackle extremism and organized crime, president Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday in parliament.

If organized criminal and racist/extremist groups operate in a country, it is not an ‘ordinary’ situation and a new law is needed to deal with them, he said.

“We were opposed to the PTA from 1979. we have not changed our ways. However, if the normal laws are not adequate to deal with organized criminal and racist/extremist groups, we need new laws. We are taking steps to establish a new set of rules,” he said.

Racism and extremism are the two main reasons why Sri Lankan national security was threatened in the past, he said.

“We will not let these trends grow,” he said.

Organized crime groups are not just a collective of criminals. They have been allowed to grow for decades, with the proactive support of politicians.

“Some politicians are now shedding tears about crime. I would like to remind them who nurtured these people,” he said.

Because of political patronage, some individuals attached to institutions that had been established to fight crime also joined these criminal groups. Several police officers have been arrested over recent underworld related assassinations, he said. Some police officers have sold their weapons to the organized groups, the president said.

“This is why 73 T-56 weapons fell into the hands of criminal groups from an army camp. 35 have been recovered. This didn’t happen during our tenure. There was an investigation into this incident before we came into power, but powerful politicians stopped this investigation. The second son of a president received seven licences firearms from the state,” he said.

Before the NPP came into power the country was headed towards a criminal state, he said. A large number of professionals have become affiliated with these powerful criminals, he said.

“In some cases, lawyers surround criminals when they receive bail and do not leave his side until he returns home. What can we do about this? There are two options. One is we can join hands with these criminal groups like those before us. The second option is to take these criminals on and crush them and this is the option we will take,” he said.

Dissanayake also said that they are cleaning up the police. A number of transfers are taking place and despite what the opposition says, none of these transfers are politically motivated, he said.

“We are getting intelligence information about some policemen who do not do their duty to tackle crime. If they are acting in cahoots with criminals, shouldn’t we take steps to put an end to it? We need to crush the network of corrupt policemen,” he said.

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Advisory for low pressure area in the Southwest Bay of Bengal to the south-east of Sri Lanka

Published

24 mins ago

2026/02/19

Priyan

Location of the low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal Sea area

Advisory for low pressure area in the Southwest Bay of Bengal to the south-east of Sri Lanka.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 03.00 pm on 18 February 2026

Multiday boats fishermen and naval community are warned that the low-pressure area still persists over the Southwest Bay of Bengal to the south-east of Sri Lanka. Under the influence of this system, heavy showers or thundershowers, Strong winds about (50-60) kmph, and rough or very rough seas can be expected in these sea areas.

The Meteorological Department is constantly monitoring the behavior of the system.

The naval and fishing communities are requested to be attentive to the future forecasts and bulletins issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.

News

Canada concerned about delay in holding PC polls

Published

1 hour ago

2026/02/19

Sahan Weerasooriya

Canadian High Commissioner Isabelle Martin shaking hands with Minister Abayaratne

Canada, said to be the home to the largest Tamil Diaspora community, has expressed concern over the delay in holding Provincial Council (PC) elections. Canadian High Commissioner Isabelle Martin, on Monday (16), took up the issue with Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Professor Chandana Abayaratne.

Sources quoted Prof. Abayaratne as having told the Canadian HC that the delay was not deliberate on the part of the government. The Minister blamed, what the sources called, certain legal, technical and delimitation issues for the delay.

India compelled Sri Lanka to enact the 13th Amendment to the country’s Constitution to enable the setting up of the Provincial Council system, in line with the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord, which Sri Lanka signed under duress in July 1987.

Prof. Abayaratne has assured the Canadian HC that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, too, recognised the importance of strengthening the Provincial Council system as a solution to ethnic issues and that urgent steps would be taken in that regard.

During the discussion, matters relating to strengthening political, economic and social relations between the two countries were discussed.

In May 2020, Canada declared that Sri Lanka had perpetrated genocide during the war against the LTTE. Canada also sanctioned former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa in January 2023 over alleged war crimes.

The Canadian HC also explained her country’s ‘Indo-Pacific’ strategy and how Sri Lanka could benefit from it.

In particular, Canada’s “Pathways to Peace” project will support reconciliation between nations, and to improve communication by encouraging the learning of mutual languages as a second language, and it was also agreed to provide more opportunities for Sri Lankan students to pursue higher studies in Canada.

The Canadian delegation also expressed its willingness to provide the necessary technical assistance to solve the drinking water problems in Puttalam, Mannar and the North-Eastern provinces under technical cooperation, and to implement the relevant projects after a preliminary study.

by Shamindra Ferdinando

News

Sajith briefs visiting UK Deputy PM on constitutional issues

Published

1 hour ago

2026/02/19

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sajith with David Lammy at Opposition Leader's Office, in Colombo

SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has briefed Deputy PM of the UK, David Lammy, on the dangers posed by the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA) and the Online Safety Act.

They met at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, in Colombo, on Tuesday (17). Discussions focused on democratic governance, trade expansion, and bilateral humanitarian cooperation.

The British delegation included High Commissioner for Sri Lanka Andrew Patrick.

Head of the Deputy Prime Minister’s International Unit David Meyer, Special Advisor Ms. Fiona Meagher, and First Secretary (Political) Tom Soper,

According to a statement issued by the Opposition Leader’s Office, Premadasa has cautioned against what he called draconian applications of the law, specifically warning against broad definitions of terrorism that could criminalize political dissent and trade union activities. Premadasa reiterated that the judiciary, not the executive, must drive legal interpretations. Regarding online safety, while acknowledging the need to protect children, he stressed that regulations must align with UK standards and international norms without infringing on civil liberties.

The Opposition Leader welcomed the UK’s leadership as the President of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) and its global Anti-Kleptocracy Campaign. The SJBer highlighted the critical need for transparent institutions, noting that strengthening accountability mechanisms is central to rebuilding public trust and ensuring sustainable economic recovery in Sri Lanka.

Premadasa conveyed sincere appreciation for the UK’s “Sovereign Solidarity” following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah in late 2025. He thanked the UK government for increasing its humanitarian aid package to £1 million (approx. $1.32 million) in December 2025. This funding, channelled through the Red Cross, UNOPS, and local partners, has provided: Emergency shelter and repairs for damaged homes; Clean water and sanitation facilities to prevent disease; and essential medicines and food supplies for the 1.8 million people affected.

Premadasa also proposed enhanced cooperation in protecting Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population and addressing the growing human–elephant conflict. He emphasised the need for sustainable conservation strategies, scientific land-use planning, community protection measures, and international technical support to safeguard biodiversity while ensuring the safety and livelihoods of rural communities affected by human–elephant interactions.