Gang violence could pose threat to national security if left unchecked

The Government has assured that the recent rise in gang violence poses no threat to national security. On Tuesday Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the recent rise in criminal activity is the result of conflicts between organised groups rather than a broader security threat.  

But can we dismiss these incidents as just ‘gang related’ violence and come to the conclusion they pose no threat to national security? If unchecked, what starts off as sporadic incidents can pose a serious threat to national security with weakened governance, corruption and lawlessness, violence among the possible scenarios.

Criminality in Sri Lanka is nothing new. The country has seen many ups and downs with periods of extremely high levels of violence.

The country went through three decades of a separatist war as well as two JVP-led insurrections through which the country saw some of the worst forms of violence. The rise in terrorism and insurgent activity, particularly in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s led to the mass recruitment of members of the military, mainly the army and this meant the meticulous screening of candidates to join the services was replaced with a more lenient system so as to increase the numbers. The result was an entry into the services of questionable characters.

It is well known that JVP sympathisers were among those who infiltrated the armed forces and given the incidents during the second JVP insurrection, these persons aided in the attacks on military bases and the theft of a large number of arms and ammunition. The LTTE also managed to seize a large quantity of weapons from the Government during their many attacks on military camps. With the end of the war in 2009, there was a large number of weapons that were unaccounted for, and some have fallen into the wrong hands. 

Many deserters from the armed forces as well as some who have left the services have been lured by the offer of money and other benefits by criminal gangs and have been involved in contract killings, extortion and the drug trade. This week the Defence Ministry issued a directive that all deserters be arrested. It’s yet to be seen how successful this move will be.

In countries where the illicit drug trade is the most lucrative business, national security has been jeopardised due to gang violence. Politicians, businessmen, journalists and others often pay the price with their lives for standing in the way of their activities.

Going by the details for the weapons seized by the police, a sizable number of T-56 automatic rifles have fallen into the hands of these criminals while an AK-47, an assault rifle, was among the weapons seized in recent raids. These seizures itself show how dangerous the situation can be if it escalates further.

Most high-profile criminals in Sri Lanka are linked to the drug trade which makes it not a local problem but an international one. Drugs enter the country through illegal routes, mainly by sea and such gangs operate with criminal gangs in other countries. Drug trafficking, according to the United Nations (UN) is the most lucrative business for transnational organised crime groups — it is at record-highs, creating vectors of violence that span the globe while the growing illicit trade in firearms is fuelling conflicts, killing and maiming millions and contributing to a dramatic increase in criminal activities in many areas of the world. 

Sri Lanka may be an island but the activity linked to local criminals is no longer confined to its borders which makes tackling crime even more challenging. For the Government, it is a major challenge to ensure that the violence does not reach a level where the public feel unsafe.