Author name: Tharindu Withanage

Upon a piece of information disclosed, the officers in Veyangoda Police Station raided a house in the Naiwala Watta area in Essella in the afternoon of 31.05.2025 and arrested a 26-year-old suspect in possession of 3 kg and 655g of heroin and a scale used for weighing drugs. A van that is suspected to be used for drug trafficking has also been seized by the police. Further investigations are being carried out by the Veyangoda Police Station regarding the suspect and all the productions apprehended.

Based on a piece of information received, officers of Police Special Task Force, Tangalle Camp conducted a raid in Kinchigune of Weeraketiya in the evening of 31. 05. 2025 and arrested a person for keeping passion of 12 liters and 630 milliliters (10 bottles of 750ml, 06 bottles of 375 ml and 16 bottles of 180ml) of government approved liquor without a valid license. Subsequently, he was handed over to Middeniya Police Station. The suspect, who is 47 years old, is a resident of Attanakadawala area. In addition to that, Police officer of Ettampitiya Police Station together with the officers of Police Special Task Force, Ettampitiya Sub Camp have raided two illegal liquor distilleries in   Ettampitiya Watta area and arrested two suspects with 196 liters of Goda which is used for illegal liquor distillation. Suspects, who are at the age of 40 and 55, and are residence of Ettampitiya area.

During a raid conducted in the Kotte area of Mirihana on the evening of 28.05.2025 by the Intelligence Division of Police Special Task Force, a 29-year-old resident of Colombo 09 area, who was in possession of 80 grams of Kush, 400 grams of Hashish and a mobile phone believed to have been used for trafficking and has been arrested and presented to the Mirihana Police Station for further investigations. Similarly, during a raid conducted by the Pushparama Sub Camp of Police Special Task Force in the Weligama Police Area on the same day, a 29-year-old resident of Midigama in possession of 43 grams and 760 milligrams of Moroccan drugs, 10 grams and 160 milligrams of narcotic ice along with his mobile phone and an amount of Rs. 58,000, believed to have been earned by selling drugs were taken into custody and presented to Weligama Police Station.

The motorcycle and helmets which was believed to be used by the suspects who has fled after shooting at a shop in Nedimala, Dehiwala area in the evening of 19 – 05 – 2025 have been found by officers of the Special Operations III Unit of Police Special Task Force in the Welapara area of Kaluwaladeniya, Meegoda. Subsequently, they have been handed over to the Dehiwala Police Station. In addition to that, investigation is being conducted by the Divisional Crime Investigation Division, Mount Lavinia on the shooting incident causing death to a 19-year-old young person near the Sylvester Road junction in Mount Lavinia on 05 – 05 – 2025. Another suspect who aided and abetted the crime has been arrested by the said Division on 20 – 05 – 2025 at Odeon Place, Mount Lavinia. He is a 33-year-old and is a resident of Oban Place, Dehiwala. Five suspects, including the shooter and this suspect, have already been arrested.

The 48-year-old man, who was fatally injured by his 53-year-old elder brother on the Raja Veediya pavement near the Badulla bus stand, is currently receiving treatment at the Badulla General Hospital under police protection. It is undeniably commendable that the young ambulance driver of the Badulla Hospital, Yapa Rashmika, and the Police Sergeant 39276, the officer named Nilantha, who was on duty attached to the Badulla Police Station, who had come to the scene as soon as it was reported, who would have thought that witnessing a murder right in front of their eyes be a bitter memory during their lifespan, rushed to the suspect who was throwing several strikes with a sharp weapon, despite the risk to their lives, and managed to subdue him, although the people around him were afraid to approach him due to the fear of the sharp weapon. Police Sergeant 39276 Nilantha had also made a great effort to successfully control the crowd on the scene who tried to attack the suspect after he was arrested. In this incident, it was revealed during the initial investigations that the younger brother, who was hospitalized after being attacked, had brought a sharp weapon in the same evening and first attacked his elder brother, who was trading on the pavement on Raja Veediya in Badulla town, and the elder brother, who was attacked, had grabbed the sharp weapon and attacked the younger brother in return. The elder brother has also been admitted to the Badulla Hospital under police protection for treatment due to cut injuries. Both of them are residents of the Amunuwelpitiya area in Badulla. The Badulla Police Station is conducting further investigations into the incident.

The gunman, who has brutally shot and killed a 19-year-old youth named Nissanka Peiris, a municipal council worker who was cleaning the road near the junction that turns to Sylvester Road in Mount Lavinia Police Area, was taken into custody by the Mount Lavinia Crime Investigation Bureau on the night of 18.05.2025. The Mount Lavinia Divisional Crime Investigation Bureau has carried out continuous investigations into the crime, and accordingly, the rider of the motorcycle used for the crime was arrested on 16.05.2025 in the Makumbura area of the Homagama Police Area. Subsequently, the dismantled motorcycle used for the crime was recovered. Accordingly, after identifying the gunman through further investigations, the investigating officers, who discovered the residence of the gunman, have raided his house in the Kulasewana area of Kottawa and have taken him into custody. Investigating officers have also been able to find the fake number plate used for the motorcycle, fifteen 09mm live ammunition and a locally made live grenade from the gunman’s house. Four suspects, including the gunman and the motorcycle rider, are currently in custody in connection with this crime, and further investigations are underway on them and searching for all the suspects who have aided and abetted the crime.

Investigations have been carried out by the Mount Lavinia Police Station and Mount Lavinia Divisional Criminal Investigation Bureau with regard to the assassination of Praveen Nissanka, a 19-year-old youth who worked as a municipal council worker and who was cleaning the road near the junction that turns into Sylvester Road in the Mount Lavinia Police Division while he was shot. Accordingly, the motorcycle rider who came to commit the crime was arrested by officers of the Mount Lavinia Divisional Criminal Investigation Bureau on 16.05.2025 in the Makumbura area of the Homagama Police Division. The suspect is a 45-year-old resident of Makumbura, Pannipitiya. Police have discovered parts of the motorcycle and two fake number plates that the suspects are believed to have used to commit the crime, buried behind the suspect’s house. The Mount Lavinia Divisional Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Mount Lavinia Police are continuing their investigations to find the suspects.  

Police Constable 72405 Amila Lakmal –Police officer who lost his life due to a road accident while performing duties One of the two police constables attached to the Traffic Branch of Chilaw Division, succumbed to his injuries upon hospitalization after meeting with an accident while performing traffic duties near the Marawila Hospital at around 12.30 a.m on 13.05.2025. The accident has taken place when a car driven by a 22-year-old lady collided with a three-wheeler being inspected by the two traffic officers, causing injuries to the two traffic officers and the three-wheeler driver as a result of being pushed forward about 20 meters before hitting an electric pole. The suspect and her grandmother, who were travelling in the car, also sustained minor injuries and they were also admitted to the Marawila Hospital along with the other three casualties. It has been revealed through preliminary investigations that the driver was not under the influence of liqour and that the accident had been caused due to reckless and careless driving. The demised police officer, Police Constable 72405 Amila Lakmal Priyadarshana, was married and a 42-year-old resident of Horathapola in Kuliyapitiya Police Area with a service period of 17 years. The body has been handed over to the relatives after the post-mortem examination. The Police Station Marawila is conducting further investigations into the accident.