Author name: Tharindu Withanage

Officers of the Anti-Corruption Unit of Ampara Police Division including OIC Sub-Inspector of Police, officer Priyankara of the said unit, succeeded in arresting two suspects involved in a number of gold necklaces stealing incidents reported from the Ampara Police Division on the afternoon of 21.10.2025. The two suspects, aged 27 and 31, are residents of Wawinna and Paragahakele areas. The arrests were made in the Alioluwa area of the Iginiyagala Police Area and through interrogation, 04 gold necklaces stolen in the Ampara, Iginiyagala, Central Camp and Samanthurai Police Areas were also taken into police custody. Since heroin was in possession at the time of arrest, it is suspected that these robberies were committed due to drug addiction. In order to uncover further information, the two suspects were produced before the Ampara Magistrate’s Court on 22.10.2025 and action has been taken to obtain detention orders.

It has been observed that photographs, videos, or edited or unedited footage including AI-generated or AI-edited content  related to cases pending before courts, cases to be presented to courts in the future, and cases currently under investigation, are being circulated through various media platforms without verification. It has also been noted that such footage often pertains to drug raids, investigations into certain crimes, and other controversial incidents. Furthermore, the circulation of these photographs, videos, and edited or unedited AI-generated footage has been found to exert undue pressure on victims and witnesses, thereby creating adverse situations during ongoing investigations and court proceedings. According to the Establishments Code of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, there are restrictions on the provision of information to the media. Accordingly, only the Secretary to the Ministry, the Head of the Department, or any officer authorized at the discretion of the Head of the Department may provide information to the media. Therefore, photographs and video footage containing accurate and verified information regarding the above incidents will be released to all media organizations solely by the Police Media Division. The Sri Lanka Police will take full responsibility for all such officially released photographs and video footage. Therefore, media heads and individuals are hereby informed that they will be held accountable for disseminating false or unverified information, including edited or unedited photographs or videos as mentioned above. In such cases, the respective institutions and individuals will also be held liable if questioned by aggrieved parties in a court of law. However, it is kindly noted that this directive in no way violates or restricts the fundamental rights of citizens as guaranteed by the Constitution.

During a raid, the Vavuniya Divisional Crime Investigation Bureau was able to arrest a suspect who was transporting 359,000 of intoxicant tablets by a cab near Vavuniya Depot on 19.10.2025.  This stock of intoxicant tablets was attempted to be transported hidden among a stock of  dried fish, which was also identified as unfit for human consumption. The suspect is a 23 year old resident of Kalpitiya area. He was handed over to the Vavuniya Police Station to produce him before the court. Further investigations are underway by the Vavuniya Divisional Crime Investigation Bureau to uncover details about the network connection linked to this suspect.

The Sri Lanka Police Headquarters has issued a public alert urging citizens to exercise caution when obtaining loans via the Internet or mobile phones, following an increase in complaints related to deceptive lending practices. According to the Police, a significant number of institutions are currently advertising loans online and through mobile platforms, often attractively presenting these offers. In some cases, unsolicited phone calls are also used to promote the availability of instant loans without any collateral requirements. However, reports received by the Sri Lanka Police reveal that many individuals are facing serious financial difficulties after obtaining such loans without paying due attention to the interest rates and repayment terms involved. Daily complaints indicate that, in many cases, borrowers are unexpectedly required to pay extremely high interest rates. Moreover, these institutions are allegedly engaging in unethical recovery practices such as repeatedly calling borrowers in a harassing manner and publishing defamatory content on social media platforms to shame those who fall behind on payments. In response to these concerns, the Sri Lanka Police conducted a joint inquiry with the Non-Banking Financial Institutions Supervision Department of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Findings confirmed that many of the entities offering loans through digital platforms are not regulated by the Central Bank. The Central Bank has stated that steps are being taken to bring such institutions under proper regulatory oversight. In light of this situation, the Sri Lanka Police urge the public to obtain financial services only from institutions that are duly regulated by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to avoid potential exploitation and financial harm. For further information or to report any suspicious financial activities, members of the public are encouraged to contact their nearest police station or refer to the official website of the Central Bank.

The fugitive female suspect named Pinpura Devage Ishara Sewwandi, who was identified as the main suspect who aided and abetted the murder of Sanjeewa Kumara Samararatne alias ‘Ganemulla Sanjeewa,’ who was killed on 19. 02. 2025 at No. 05 Magistrate’s Court, Hulftsdorp, was arrested in Nepal during a joint operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Police and Nepal Security Force. Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Rohan Olugala and the officers attached to the Criminal Investigation Department who were involved in the operation, have taken measures to bring back the said suspect and five other suspects who are suspected to be involved in organized crime to Sri Lanka on 15. 10. 2025. They were handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department for further legal action. More information will be revealed in the future on the murder of Sanjeewa Kumara Samararatne alias ‘Ganemulla Sanjeewa. The arrest of the fugitive, Ishara Sewwandi, can be considered another significant milestone of suppressing organized crimes.