All forms of street vending within the Kandy Municipal Council area will be banned from January 1, Mayor Chandrasiri Wijenayake has said.The Kandy Mayor said the decision had been taken as part of efforts to preserve it as a clean and aesthetically pleasing city and to allow the public to move freely while enjoying its surroundings.

He said the ban would apply not only to streets in the city centre but across the entire municipal council area. The move, he added, follows long-standing public requests for a more systematic regulatory framework within the Kandy urban area and is aimed at ensuring public convenience and welfare.

Wijenayake stressed that the decision would be implemented without reversal.

The Kandy Municipal Council has already issued formal notices to pavement vendors directing them to cease operations. Street vendors had requested a three-month grace period to relocate, which will expire on December 31.

By S. K. Samaranayake ✍️

Breathalyser test kits had been delivered to all police stations across the country as part of stepped-up efforts to curb drunk driving, SSP Manoj Ranagala, Director of the Traffic Division at Police Headquarters said.

SSP Ranagala told The Island yesterday (25) that 75,000 breathalysers had already been procured and issued to police stations, enabling wider and more effective roadside testing. He said a further consignment of 250,000 test kits was expected to arrive in January, strengthening enforcement capacity in the coming months.

Police stations nationwide had launched special operations during the New Year season to detect and arrest intoxicated drivers, he said, noting that driving under the influence of liquor remains a leading cause of fatal road accidents and property damage in Sri Lanka. The operations are aimed at reducing preventable deaths and injuries on the roads.

SSP Ranagala said the police would continue to carry out snap checks, particularly at night, even after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season, to deter motorists from driving under the influence of alcohol.

He said enforcement efforts have already resulted in a significant number of arrests. On Tuesday (24) alone, 136 drunk drivers were taken into custody by police stations across the island.

By Chaminda Silva ✍️

Police narcotics authorities have launched a major crackdown on law enforcement personnel accused of aiding and abetting a heroin trafficking network operating in the Moratuwa, Lunawa, Angulana and Ratmalana areas, allegedly under the direction of Sri Lankan drug traffickers based overseas.

As part of the investigation, a Sub-Inspector and a Police Constable attached to the Moratuwa Police were first transferred out of the station and have since been interdicted after inquiries revealed their alleged links to a heroin distribution network connected to underworld figure Chamly Devinda Vidanagama, widely known as Ratmalane Devinda.

According to police, Ratmalane Devinda previously managed his narcotics operations from Dubai. However, following the arrest of his close associate Nilanga Sampath Silva alias Panadure Nilanga in Indonesia, Devinda is believed to have relocated to Australia. Panadure Nilanga was apprehended along with five notorious criminals, including Mandinu Padmasiri Perera alias Kehelbaddara Padme, and was repatriated to Sri Lanka in September this year.

Investigators say Devinda is now coordinating his drug network from Melbourne with the assistance of another criminal figure, Janith Hashan Wimalaweera alias Mervyn Jana. Mervyn Jana, who had earlier been remanded on drug-related charges, is currently absconding after being released on bail. Police teams are actively searching for him.

The investigation gained further momentum following the recent arrest of a woman known as Badowita Asha by STF commandos together with officers from the Dehiwala Police. She is accused of retail-level heroin distribution in Ratmalana, Lunawa, Angulana and Moratuwa.

Police said the heroin seized from her bore a distinctive symbol of the English national flag, which is believed to be the trademark used to identify narcotics belonging to Ratmalane Devinda’s network.

Police also revealed that Ratmalane Devinda has been placed on an INTERPOL watch list, and steps are being taken to seek the assistance of Australian authorities for his arrest and extradition. Notably, his parents are former police officers, and investigators believe he benefited from assistance provided by certain law enforcement personnel. Devinda is reported to have entered the narcotics trade with the backing of notorious underworld leader Sinharage Saminda Silva alias Ratmalane Kudu Anju.

Meanwhile, investigators believe the arrested suspect Badowita Asha maintained a close association with Mervyn Jana. Police said Mervyn Jana is also believed to possess critical information regarding officers who allegedly worked closely with and provided protection to the drug network.