Red Notices have been issued by the International Police (Interpol) against 43 Sri Lankan criminals and members of criminal gangs who are conducting criminal activities and drug related offences in Sri Lanka through their accomplices while living in foreign countries in hiding to avoid arrest.
Addressing a media briefing held in Colombo on Monday, Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said that steps are being taken to obtain Red Notices against other Sri Lankan criminals and drug lords living in foreign countries as well, who have been identified and wanted for the multiple deaths, criminal activities, drug trafficking and drug related offences they are continuing to carry on while staying in hiding out of the country.
Thalduwa said that many of these wanted criminals and drug traffickers who had sought refuge in Dubai, UAE to stay in hiding while continuing to conduct criminal activities and drug related offences in Sri Lanka are reported to have fled from Dubai to other countries to avoid arrest by Dubai Police after several red noticed Sri Lankan underworld leaders were recently arrested in a row by the Dubai authorities and later handed over to the Sri Lankan authorities to repatriate.
According to Thalduwa, it has been revealed that following the issuance of red notices by Interpol on most wanted Sri Lankan criminals who had fled to Dubai, were found to have created new passports under fake identities and fled to other countries in order to avoid being arrested by the Dubai authorities.
Varuna Dayaratne