(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – The Ministry of Public Security says that the Minister of Public Security, Mr. Tiran Alles, has given orders to all senior police officers, including the Inspector General of Police, to take strict action against the hired killers who are involved in the ongoing killings in the Western and Southern Provinces.
The Ministry says that the Minister of Public Security has informed the higher officials that no one will be allowed to exert undue influence on the operations to suppress these killings, and that President Ranil Wickramasinghe has given a guarantee in this regard.
The Minister has given these orders during an emergency meeting of senior police officers led by the Inspector General of Police called on Wednesday at the Ministry of Public Security.
Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security Viyani Gunathilaka, Inspector General of Police DC Wickramaratne, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Southern Province S.C. Medawatta, Special Task Force Commander DIG Waruna Jayasundara were present at the meeting.
The Inspector General of Police has pointed out that the increase in murders and crimes in the Southern Province and the Western Province has been particularly affected by the inefficiency of some senior police officers OICs working in those two provinces.
The Minister has given instructions to the Inspector General of Police to immediately remove such incompetent officers and appoint suitable officers, according to the sources at the Ministry.
The Minister has informed the police to declare a general amnesty period till July 31 to hand over to the police all firearms that do not have licenses or firearms with expired licenses.
The Minister has further informed that with the expiry of the amnesty period for handing over firearms, the police along with other intelligence agencies should start raiding illegal firearms.
