News
Scammers who duped expatriate workers arrested

Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon inspecting the documents and equipment taken into custody from the scammers and the illegal Kachcheri.
Text and pix by PRIYAN DE SILVA
Acting on a complaint the Kirulapone police cracked a large scale scam, where the perpetrators duped Lankan expatriate workers into revealing details of their remittances after assuring them of being granted a loan under the Enterprise Sri Lanka loan scheme.
Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon, who visited the Kirulapone police station, to congratulate the police team who had made the breakthrough, said that the scammers had swindled millions of rupees.
Police were able to trace the culprits by tracing the owner of a mobile number used by one member of the gang and apprehended three persons, who are residents of Pitabeddara. The police also took into custody the mobile phones and computers used by the culprits and two vehicles.
On information elicited from the suspects the police raided an illegal kachcheri in Wellampitiya, where forged driving licences and identities had been produced.
The scammers had placed advertisement on social media announcing that expatriate workers would be granted loans under the former government’s ‘Enterprise Sri Lanka’ loan scheme.
Once inquiries were made and the initial application was received the scammers informed the applicants that their applications had been approved and requested them to open a Payfast account and transfer ten percent of the loan approved to the account or remit an equivalent sum through Western Union money transfer and got the victims to reveal their PINs.
The scammers obtained forged identities mostly driving licences through a contact operating near the RMV while the documents were made in Wellampitiya. The police arrested one of the two persons who had operated the illegal kachcheri and took into custody computers, printers and over 900 blank driving licence cards.
The Police requested all those who had fallen prey to the scammers to contact the OIC of the Kirulapone Police station on 071-8591582
Latest News
PM visits France to attend high-level conference at UNESCO

The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dr. Harini Amarasuriya is on an official visit to Paris, France to participate in the high-level segment of the International Expert Conference on ’An Integrated and Sustainable Approach to Safeguarding the World Heritage Property of the Sacred City of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka and Associated Living Heritage’ which was to be held at UNESCO Headquarters today [Tuesday 1 April], with the participation of the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay.
The Conference, organized by UNESCO in partnership with Sri Lanka, brings together leading international experts to discuss sustainable strategies for the conservation of Anuradhapura, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of immense cultural and historical significance.
On the sidelines of the Conference, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to meet senior interlocutors of the French Government to discuss bilateral cooperation and areas of mutual interest.
The Delegation of the Prime Minister includes the Minister of Buddhasasana Religious and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Latest News
Duo of JMSDF ships arrive in Colombo

The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) BUNGO and ETAJIMA arrived at the port of Colombo on a goodwill visit this morning (01 Apr 25).
The visiting ships were welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in compliance with naval traditions.
The 141m long JMSDF BUNGO is an Uraga-Class Minesweeper Tender commanded by Commander TANAKA Koji and the ship is manned by a crew of 125.
Meanwhile, JMSDF Etajima, a 65-meter-long Minesweeper, is under the command of Commander Oda Takayuki and operates with a crew of 54 personnel.
During the stay in the island, crew members of the ships will explore some tourist attractions within the city of Colombo. The ships are scheduled to set sail from Colombo on 04 Apr.
News
Underworld leader threatens police over arrest of his father and brother

“You and your families will be eliminated”
By Norman Palihawadane and Hemantha Randun
A full-scale investigation has been launched to track down an underworld character, ‘Navy Dinesh,’ a key accomplice of Ganemulle Sanjeewa, for issuing death threats over the phone to three police officers, including the Gampaha HQI, Crime Branch OIC, of the same police station, and others.
Navy Dinesh is believed to have fled the country.
According to police sources, threats were issued following the arrest of Navy Dinesh’s father and brother in connection with a drug trafficking case.
Phone analysis reports have confirmed that the calls originated from Dubai and France.
Following the murder of Ganemulle Sanjeewa, Navy Dinesh assumed leadership of the underworld gang he had previously been involved with.
Navy Dinesh contacted the Gampaha HQI, the OIC of the Crime Branch, and the investigating police constable, and threatened to kill them and their family members. “You and your families will be eliminated,” he said.
A special police team had been assigned to investigate the matter, and a report has been submitted to the courts, police sources said.
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