Author name: Tharindu Withanage

The investigations conducted against the suspect Nedungodege Nirmala Prasanga alias Backo Saman, who was arrested in Indonesia and identified as a drug trafficker and organized criminal, have led to the seizure of two luxury buses purchased and used by him. The Western Province North Crime Division, which is conducting investigations after it was revealed that these buses were purchased with money collected through illegal means such as drugs, went to the Pettah and Adiambalam areas on 23.10.2025 and took action to seize the buses. One of the buses was registered in the name of another person and was used to ply on the Colombo-Moneragala expressway. Investigations are underway regarding the registration. The other bus had been used for tourism. Investigations are underway by the Western Province North Crime Division.

The Southern Provincial Special Operations Unit of the Police Special Task Force conducted a raid in the Udakelawa area of the Ambalangoda Police Area on the evening of 21.10.2025, on a piece of information received mentioning that 02 Valampuri conch shells and a pair of muzzle-loading pistols that reflects an archaeological value, were being prepared to be sold for about Twenty Million Rupees. One suspect was taken into custody along with the two Valampuri conch shells and two firearms during the raid, and the property and the suspect have been presented to the Ambalangoda Police Station for further action. The 55-year-old suspect is a resident of the same area. Further investigations are underway by the Ambalangoda Police Station.

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.