People’s Struggle Movement activist Wasantha Mudalige yesterday alleged that there were serious irregularities in the tender process initiated to purchase 500 body cameras for police officers and called for the procurement process to be cancelled and restarted.

Addressing a press conference at the Frontline Socialist Party headquarters in Nugegoda, Mudalige said the decision to equip police officers with body cameras was necessary, but questioned the manner in which the procurement process was being conducted.

He said body cameras should not be limited to police officers performing duties outside police stations, pointing out that security cameras were also needed inside police stations, amid continuing reports of alleged torture and deaths following assaults in police custody.

Mudalige claimed that the tender document contained several technical shortcomings and alleged that parts of its Terms of Reference (TOR) appeared to have been generated using artificial intelligence.

He questioned why such content had not been reviewed and corrected before the document was issued, saying technical specifications should have been carefully prepared, based on the requirements of the Sri Lanka Police and international standards.

He also cited what he described as a significant disparity in the prices quoted by bidders, ranging from around Rs. 50 million to Rs. 360 million for the 500 cameras.

While a state-owned telecommunications company had reportedly submitted a bid of around Rs. 170 million, Mudalige said a subsidiary of the same entity had submitted a bid of approximately Rs. 60 million.

He argued that the wide variation in bids raised questions about whether the technical specifications and required standards had been adequately defined.

Mudalige also questioned why only 500 cameras were being procured and whether the project was intended as a pilot scheme before a larger procurement.

He further raised concerns about the proposed provision of internet facilities for the cameras and questioned the involvement of a company, he alleged, was linked to a government digitalisation adviser.

Mudalige said this could raise a potential conflict-of-interest issue and questioned whether the procurement was connected to the government’s wider digitalisation programme.He called for the tender to be cancelled and a fresh procurement process initiated following a thorough review and consultation with technical experts.

By Norman Palihawadane

The Navy has seized nearly 81 kilos of narcotics with a street value of Rs. 1.5 billion, during a special operation off the Kusumanthurai coast in Mathagal, in the North, Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara said yesterday.

Addressing a special media briefing on the seizure, Jayasekara said the narcotics haul comprised nearly 35 kg of heroin and around 45 kg of crystal methamphetamine (‘Ice’).

He described it as the largest drug seizure made in the North in recent years.

Jayasekara said narcotics seized by the Navy during operations in 2025 had an estimated street value of around Rs. 75 billion, while the street value of drugs seized so far this year stood at approximately Rs. 56 billion.

Navy Commander Vice Admiral Damien Fernando said the latest operation had been launched following intelligence received by the Northern Naval Command.

Several teams, including personnel from the Sri Lanka Naval Ship Agbo establishment, and the Deployment Division, took part in the operation, he said.

Fernando said the seized narcotics had been handed over for further examination with the assistance of the Police Narcotics Bureau in Jaffna.

He said the Navy was conducting anti-narcotics operations through specialised teams and would further intensify such operations.

The Navy was operating in a complex environment and planned to make greater use of technology in future operations, Fernando said.He added that the Navy was already receiving the equipment required for this purpose, enabling it to expand the scope of its operations.

By Norman Palihawadane

Two people were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a three-wheeler in the Halpathota area of Baddegama, yesterday morning, police said.

The three-wheeler was travelling from Baddegama towards Ambalangoda when a car, carrying the gunmen, reportedly blocked its path and one of the assailants opened fire with a T-56 rifle.

The driver of the three-wheeler was killed on the spot, while two women, travelling in the three-wheeler, sustained serious injuries.

One of the injured women died after being admitted to the Baddegama Hospital. The other woman was transferred to the Galle National Hospital, where she is receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), a hospital spokesperson said.

All three victims were reportedly residents of Ambalangoda. The deceased woman was pregnant, according to police.

The victims were returning after appearing before the Galle Crime Division in Baddegama to record their signatures in connection with a bail condition in a narcotics case, pending before court, police said.

The gunmen fled the scene after the shooting. CCTV footage has reportedly captured the attack, including the gunman getting out of the car and opening fire at the moving three-wheeler.

Two police teams have been deployed to investigate the incident and identify and apprehend those responsible.