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Friday, 21 August 2020 00:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Asiri Fernando
The Police Department is scrambling to investigate rogue officers within the law enforcement ranks, after a spate of recent arrests exposed how deeply organised crime networks had penetrated into the security establishment.
The Police Special Task Force (STF) had long held a ‘tough unit’ image, and was seen as a reliable force multiplier with specialist counterterrorism and dignitary protection capability.
However, the arrest of an STF SI this week on alleged links to organised crime has cast a shadow on the unit. The arrest comes a short while after the Police Narcotic Bureau’s (PNB) image was tarnished by a small group of rogue personnel, who had cultivated links with the organised crime networks and got into the trade for themselves.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is questioning a Sub-Inspector of Police (SI) attached to the Special Task Force (STF), on alleged links to organised criminals and drug trafficking. The STF SI was arrested on Wednesday, and is being held on detention orders by the CID. According to Police Spokesman SSP Jaliya Senaratne, the Police suspect that the SI had aided and abetted organised criminal groups and offered them protection.
According to the Police, the arrest of the STF SI, who was serving at the Mannar STF camp, comes after a group of 13 rogue PNB officers were arrested and questioned about their dealings with organised criminal networks.
The CID is also questioning two Army soldiers and a Police constable regarding two caches of illegal weapons, including 15 assault rifles, which the Police found following ongoing investigations into the organised criminal networks. The two soldiers were handed over to the Police by the Military Police, following a request made by the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) to the Commander of the Army. The Police constable who was arrested last month was in possession of two Type-56 assault rifles and rifle ammunition.
The Police also arrested two persons working at the Government Analyst’s Department for being in possession of heroin, strengthening concerns about the security of narcotics which are kept as evidence, and the integrity of the Department’s employees.
The Police also arrested a journalist, who is said to work for a newspaper, on charges that he facilitated the transport of illegal firearms through security checkpoints for organised criminal networks. The 30-year-old suspect, a resident of Abakola Wewa, Madamulana in the South, is alleged to have used his media ID credentials, and a vehicle with a media logo, to move several illegal firearms through checkpoints during the curfew imposed in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. Senaratne declined to comment on the suspect, pointing out that the investigation was in the early stages, and that more arrests may happen.
During operations conducted over a two-and-a-half month period, the Police have taken into custody 298 illegal weapons, and arrested 321 suspects on firearms-related charges, the Police said. Of the nearly 300 firearms, 15 are assault rifles, 14 pistols and revolvers, 49 12 gauge shotguns, and 220 locally-made firearms. The locally-made illegal firearms are mostly crude shotguns, black-powder muzzleloaders, trap-guns, and hand weapons built to fire the 7.62mm ammunition used in the widely-used Type-56 assault rifle.
The number of locally-made illegal firearms indicate a budding illegal cottage industry, a senior Police officer told Daily FT on terms of anonymity. The Police source also suspected that there may be leakages from State arsenals. During the same period, the Police have arrested 38 individuals for being in possession of explosives, including 45 hand grenades. The availability of assault rifles and explosives poses a serious concern for national security, a senior Defence official told the Daily FT.
The state of affairs in the security establishment drew criticism from newly-appointed Justice Minister Ali Sabry, PC, who questioned the status of the Police department and several other organisations. Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Kamal Gunaratne also this week stressed that a corruption-free Police Department was vital for law and order.
Both Gunaratne and Sabry have called for reforming the law enforcement agencies. The need for reforms in law enforcement and the Judiciary has been a much-debated topic over the years, with successive Governments failing to implement multiple proposed changes to the sector.
