At long last the results of the strict measures taken last month to curtail criminal acts conducted by underworld king pings and drug mafia bosses serving sentences or in remand custody have started to yield results. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa gave a dressing down to top prison officials on June 1st about the crimes conducted by convicts in prison and sarcastically described their failure to curb prisoners from using smuggled telephone as a ‘joke’.
There was a major shakeup in police and prison top officials in order to effect the instructions given by the President, following which police raids took place and many suspects were detained. Two of the major changes were the appointment of a new Prisons Commissioner and Head of the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB).
There were swift investigations and 14 arrests were made and a sum of Rs 31 million, several properties and jewellery seized. The CID and other Police teams took into custody 10 vehicles that had been allegedly used islandwide by a narcotics network. This incident comes in the wake of top officers of the PNB, being charged with maintaining close links with major drug peddlers. The CID took into custody two luxury vans hidden in the Karandeniya area and had allegedly been used by two Police Sergeants who are presently in CID custody.
The officers attached to the PNB had a few days earlier taken into custody a car that had been used by a suspect Sub Inspector of Police engaged in the illegal drug racket. Later, the Minuwangoda Police had taken into custody, a jeep, two vans, a car, a lorry, a three-wheeler, and a motorcycle that had been used to carry out illegal drug racketing by the suspects. Rs 940,000, a knife, four credit cards and a global positioning system, were recovered by Police from the Minuwangoda house of the suspect Sub Inspector. The CID has begun investigations into the illegal drug racket, based on information supplied to them by officers from the PNB.
Police Media Spokesman SSP Jaliya Senaratne said the PNB head was transferred to facilitate an impartial inquiry. There were many instances of prison guards conniving with convicts and indulging in criminal activities. A Prison Guard at the Boossa Prison who had been nabbed while attempting to smuggle seven grams of heroin for an inmate of the Prison, had been interdicted and is being investigated.
During the raids last month, a total of 46,637 suspects have been arrested for various crimes including for the possession of narcotics, firearms and explosives by the police during island-wide raids. Accordingly, a total of 10,968 suspects were arrested over procession of heroin, cannabis and Ice drugs. The police seized 7.1 kgs of heroin, over 295 kgs of cannabis and over 1 kg of Ice drugs.
Police said 89 suspects were arrested with 11 T-56 rifles, a T-81 rifle which were seized by the STF in Pitipana and 26 Bore 12 firearms, 3 pistols, 46 repeaters, 35 other firearms, 578 ammunitions, 3 swords and 2 knifes. Ten suspects were arrested over possession of 367g of explosives, 23 detonators and 10 hand grenades.
An army deserter and two accomplices of underworld gangster 'Gagana' who is currently in remand custody, have been arrested during raids at Arawwala in Maharagama. They said the raids were carried out by the STF Organized Unit following a tip-off.
During the investigations, specific information relating to criminal activities and drug peddling operated from prisons have been received.
Last month, President Rajapaksa told prison officials that the public is appalled by this situation, in which the convicts in prisons carry out criminal activities using mobile telephones. “This has to be rectified. The use of mobile phones within prison premises should be completely eradicated” President emphasized.
If Prisons or Police reach a state of collapse, it will adversely affect maintaining law and order in the country. The President said he always welcomes the right conduct on the part of officials despite their political loyalties. President Rajapaksa emphasized that the existing shortcomings of the Department of Prisons will be removed and the system will be entirely overhauled. This restructuring process will be implemented through a committee comprising Secretary Defence, the Army Commander and the Inspector General of Police. The President also advised the relevant officials to conduct all actions including the training of officers and providing incentives under a supervisory team.
The President further said that corrupt and inefficient officers should be identified and should take appropriate decisions regarding them.
There have been several underworld attacks during the last few days. Many may have thought the capture of Sri Lanka’s Mafia Don, Makandure Madush, who was once blamed for most of the organized crimes that shocked the country, would debilitate the underworld, but other criminal gangs seem to have stepped in to fill the void created by his arrest. The disintegration of his crime syndicate has apparently led to other underworld gangs emerging stronger.
Last month, a gang leader operating from Dubai arranged his hoodlums to fire at a restaurant in Soysapura in full view of the police, as the owner refused to pay protection money. Three armed policemen, deployed there to protect the eatery, did not respond, and they have been interdicted.
The incumbent Government has promised to ensure that extremist terror would not raise its ugly head ever again. Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne said that the senior police officers-in-charge of provinces should be ashamed of wearing their uniforms if large-scale illegal activities are taking place in their respective divisions. “You need to curb illegal activities that are increasing at an alarming rate without heeding to forces that might influence you and also to protect the dignity of the uniform that you wear. No police officer, from Senior DIGs, DIGs to OICs in the area, can wash their hands of the accountability for the increase in crimes rate in their respective areas,” the Defence Secretary said addressing senior DIGs and DIGs representing all provinces of the Sri Lanka Police at a special meeting held at the Defence Ministry earlier this week.
The Defence Secretary said police officers were responsible for maintaining national security as they are the main contributors to create a fear-free environment for the people to live freely. “I want to tell you the same thing that I told the prison officials. From today onwards, you have to perform your duties properly in a responsible manner. Let me know if any of you were not allowed to perform your duties. I have arranged this meeting today to request you to perform your duties to gain respect for the uniform that you wear and it is your responsibility not to leave room for any political force to harass people in your respective areas. The SSPs and ASPs have a responsibility to look into these,” he said adding that no police officer, who works for the sake of gaining personal benefits, earns respect when he is being called ‘a good boy’ by a politician. He also said the senior police officers should be held responsible if any form of crimes, including theft, murder or drug trafficking, were taking place in the areas coming under their purview.
Now it is for the senior police officers to carry out the instructions given by President Rajapaksa and Secretary Gunaratne and regain the public trust in law enforcement authorities.
Prisons have become hotbeds of crime, corruption and narcotics
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