News
Drug raid goes awry in South; Sergeant killed, SI injured
By Norman Palihawadane and Hemantha Randunu
A police sergeant was killed and a sub inspector injured during a shooting incident near a hotel at Weligama yesterday. It was claimed by local police that a soldier had fired at a van used by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) for its operations.
The deceased has been identified as Sergeant Upul Chaminda Kumara (46) a resident of Galewela.Police said that the CCD team, comprising eight men and officers, had gone to Weligama to conduct a raid on a narcotic network headed by underworld kingpins known as Harak Kata and Midigama Ruwan.When the van neared the W15 Hotel at Pelena roundabout, on the New Galle Road, someone from the hotel fired at the vehicle.
After the van came under attack, the CCD sleuths in the van returned fire. A different team consisting of police and military personnel was conducting a joint raid in search of narcotics in the area at the time of the incident.
As shooting continued, the CCD vehicle sped away despite the orders by the Weligama police to stop it. A soldier who was with the police opened fire on the speeding vehicle, which moved toward Imaduwa Expressway entrance.
The vehicle was stopped by the local police at the expressway entry point, and the CCD officials revealed their identity. The police rushed the wounded sergeant and SI to hospital. The sergeant was declared dead on admission.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the soldier had mistaken the police raiding team for an underworld gang.
The CCD sources said that they had launched an operation to nab 31 narcotic dealers belonging to networks of Harak Kata and Midigama Ruwan the previous day. I had nabbed 11, including four women belonging to this network by 30 Dec. The CCD team had been dispatched to Weligama to arrest the rest of the drug dealers, police said, adding that they had received information that one of them was hiding at the W 15 hotel in Weligama.
Police media spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that the police had raided the W 15 hotel on 15 previous instances and nabbed drug dealers along with narcotics in the past.Hospital sources said that the injured SI was out of danger.An investigation has been launched into the incident.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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