(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –A special three month operation was launched yesterday in order to seize all illegal firearms in the country, IGP Pujith Jayasundara said yesterday.
The IGP was speaking during a ceremony of the pledge of public servants held at the Police Headquarters yesterday.
He said while several killings had been reported during 2018, over 90% of the suspects involved in these killings had been arrested.
However, the IGP noted that despite the arrests made, there is a large stock of illegal firearms that are being circulated within the country. Therefore, he said that a special operation would be initiated to seize these illegal firearms and the Police officers who succeed in successfully taking such firearms into custody would be rewarded financially.
IG Jayasundara also noted that road accidents have risen dramatically and around eight persons are killed on the roads on a daily basis. He expressed hope that all Traffic Police officers would do their utmost to minimise these road accident incidents.
The IGP noted that he has set an example on how the Police Force can be transformed into a ‘professional Police Force based on intelligence information’ in order to create a peaceful environment where people could live without fear.
IGP Jayasundara said that when he took over as the head of the Police Force, the crime solving rate was at 60% but by the end of 2018, he had succeeded in improving it to 75%.
He also commended the Police officers for their commitment and dedication in combating the drug scourge plaguing the country. However, the IGP said that he intends to step up the drug prevention operations even further during this year.
Calling on all Police officers to carry out their duties with commitment and productively as they have a long way to go, adding that it is only with such commitment and dedication that the Police Force could exceed their achievements of 2018 and prove to be an intelligent, productive and formidable force in the coming year.
