Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala on Friday (06) said the government had decided to establish a new police division, dedicated to combating cybercrime in Sri Lanka, amid a sharp rise in technology-related offences.

The Minister made these remarks at the opening ceremony of the Polpitiya Police Station.

He said that between 23 and 25 cybercrime complaints were reported daily, describing the figure as alarmingly high and underscoring the need for specialised law enforcement responses.

Wijepala said steps were being taken to equip the Police Department with modern technology, expertise and upgraded investigative capacity to effectively detect and resolve cyber-related crimes.

He added that the government’s broader objective was to transform the Sri Lanka Police into an efficient, professional and corruption-free institution, noting that sustained efforts were under way to achieve this goal.

The Minister further said measures had been introduced to create opportunities for capable officers to advance within the service, while mechanisms were in place to remove officers found guilty of misconduct.

Former Prisons Department Spokesman, Lion Jagath Chandana Weerasinghe, has highlighted severe overcrowding in Sri Lanka’s prisons, noting that 40,000 inmates are being held in facilities designed for just 10,500.

He revealed this at a seminar held at Yatagala Mahavidyalaya, in Uragasmanhandiya, organised by the former Commissioner of Prisons and Leader of District 306 of the International Lions Club.

“Among the 40,000 prisoners and suspects, 66 are children. There are also 806 convicts on death row, including 18 women, held in condemned cells. Around 2,000 women, suspected of murder, robbery, and drug offences, are on remand. Most detainees are uneducated, and many are illiterate. Tragically, the victims of this situation are often young men and women. Even the son of a senior Education Administrative Service official is serving a term for a drug offence,” he said.

Weerasinghe warned that children were at risk of being drawn into anti-social activities by organised gangs. He urged parents to instil social values in their children during their formative years to help build a safer and better society.

The event was attended by religious and community leaders, including Ven. Galagama Sudira Thera, Chairman of Karandeniya Pradeshiya Sabha Saman Kumara Yatagala, Principal of Yatagala Mahavidyalaya Thushara Karunaratne, President of Uragasmanhandiya Lions Club Lion Dr. Hasitha Wijewardene, Commander of Ahungalle STF Camp A.R.T.A Amarasinghe, and local residents.

The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) Alumni Association was formally inaugurated on 27 January, 2026, at the OUSL Auditorium in Nawala, Nugegoda, marking a new chapter in alumni engagement at the national university.

At the inaugural meeting, Krisantha Nissanka, Attorney-at-Law and prominent alumnus, was appointed President of the Association.

Nissanka’s engagement with education spans both school and university spheres. An alumnus of Wesley College, he later served as a teacher at the institution and was elected President of the Teachers’ Guild of Wesley College, representing educators on professional and welfare matters. He also contributed as Editor of the Past Teachers’ Newsletter, sustaining dialogue among former members of the teaching staff.

At the Open University of Sri Lanka, he served as President of the Students’ Union and was elected to the Faculty Board and the Senate Sub-Committee on Academic Matters for three consecutive years, where he actively advocated for academic standards, student rights, and institutional accountability.

During this period, he published the magazine Vivurtha and undertook the Sinhala translation and publication of the Lima Declaration on Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy, making global academic governance principles accessible to local audiences.

Following graduation, he was elected Secretary of the Law Graduates’ Association of OUSL on multiple occasions and organised alumni gatherings over many years. He is also a regular participant in televised legal education programmes, contributing to “Law, Land and Liberty” on Derana 24.