‘Local underworld leaders operating from abroad’

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

Special Task Force (STF) Commandant DIG R.W.M.C. Ranawana said most of the large scale smugglers in the country had gone abroad with the STF commencing the operations to eradicate the underworld in Sri Lanka.

“According to the information received by the intelligence units, a large number of underworld leaders have left the country and are conducting their affairs from overseas, while using their agents in Sri Lanka,” he added.

He was addressing a special conference at STF Headquarters yesterday.

The Commandant said it was revealed that the underworld leaders and some of their agents who remained in the country have made the prisons their safe houses. They have come to prison after committing small crimes and are monitoring all their crimes from prison. He pointed out that no one came to obtain bail for these persons and intelligence units have discovered that this is because they want to be arrested.

The main responsibility of the STF is to support the Police enforce the law in the country and alleviate environmental pollution and bust organised crime. They have to arrest large scale drug,illicit liquor dealers,illegal weapons, illegal miners and environment polluters. “With the increase in the population, the number of crimes have increased and they should be controlled,”the Commandant said.