Inspector General of Police directs:

Three pronged attack on crime

Sarath Malalasekera

Inspector General of Police Jayantha Wickremaratne at a special conference at his chambers on Friday assigned three Deputy Inspectors General of Police to combat three major crimes in the country. They are - gang operated organised crimes, illicit liquor and hard drug trafficking.

The three DIGs were directed to report to the IGP on weekly basis on their progress. The DIGs could obtain the assistance of the Senior SPs of the respective areas and also the OICs.

Police Community Centres have been set up in the Country on the direction of the IGP to assist the three DIGs.

A number of underworld and criminal gangs have been effectively dealt with thereby ridding the public from the grip of fear.

The Administration of Criminal Justice system has been energised through closer rapport established among the Police, Public and the Judiciary, IGP Wickremaratne said.

The IGP emphasised that due to effective surveillance of the Civil Defence Committees, the Police were able to detect four kilos of C4 type high explosives during the year and prevented a major disaster. The Police special team also detected 11 kilos of heroin in the Colombo division this year.

"We were able to prevent several major disasters as a result of the co-operation received from the members of the civil defence committees and the public," the IGP said and added that the public and police personnel were a strength in the setting up of the Police Community Centres in the country.

"The public should be more vigilant these days and assist the Police force to eliminate crime.

Branch of the Walana and Panadura Central Vice Squads headed by DIG de Fonseka will help take immediate steps to conduct raids in the Western Province and in the Colombo areas.

The Central Vice Squad recently raided an illicit distillery and took into custody a large quantity of illicit liquor and equipment used for the illicit distillery, the IGP said.