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Yukthiya, what Yukthiya: Questions amidst spate of violent robberies, shootings
View(s):- Police defend operation; as long as there are drugs there’ll be crime
By Damith Wickramasekara and Sandun Jayawardana
The recent violent armed robbery of a shop at the Meegoda Economic Centre and several other armed robberies and shootings have raised concerns over the effectiveness of the countrywide “Yukthiya” (Justice) Operation in tackling gun crime. Police however, argue that most of the country’s gun violence is entwined with drug trafficking and that the operation’s success will help limit such crimes.
Police are still hunting for two suspects who shot and injured a female employee before making off with Rs. 45, 000 from a shop at the Meegoda Economic Centre on Monday night (12). Investigators are combing through CCTV footage from the area to determine the movements of the suspects before and after the robbery.
In the aftermath of the incident, traders closed down the economic centre claiming they felt unsafe and accused police of failing to provide necessary security to the economic centre. They alleged that no officer from the police post situated at the economic centre arrived at the scene of the crime though it occurred within visible distance from the post. Five officers including a Sub Inspector who were on duty at the post were subsequently transferred and the Special Task Force (STF) were deployed to provide security for the economic centre to persuade traders to return to work.
Meanwhile, the manager of a restaurant was shot and injured by unidentified assailants on Tuesday (13) night in Modera. The 52-year-old victim was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital with gunshot wounds. A car believed to have been used in the shooting was found abandoned near a paddy field in Ja Ela the following day. The suspects remain at large.
The shootings and armed robberies are happening even as the Yukthiya island-wide operation completes two months. The operation was launched with the aim of cracking down on drug trafficking and the underworld. While authorities claim crime overall has come down during this period, there have been several high profile crimes that were committed using firearms over the past two months, which saw a number of persons dead and several others injured.
Looking for suspected drugs: Yukthiya operation
The most blatant was the mass shooting of five people in Beliatta on January 22. The victims included leader of the Ape Jaba Bala Party Saman Perera. Fifteen suspects arrested in connection with the shooting are now in remand custody till February 27. On Friday, police released details and photographs of three more suspects they were searching for in relation to the shooting and appealed for public help. The suspects were identified as Mahagamage Dinesh Priyankara alias “Chootiya,” Nanayakkara Agarage Nishantha Saman Kumara Dias and Ranmuni Mahesh Hemantha Silva.
At least one of the shooters and a suspect believed to have planned the murders are believed to have fled abroad. The T-56 weapons used in the shooting are also yet to be recovered.
Police however, have recovered the T-56 assault rifle believed to have been used in the killing of a Buddhist monk at a Temple in Malwathuhiripitiya, Gampaha last month. The weapon was recovered when police arrested a 29-year-old suspect from Homagama on February 8 in connection with the killing. The arrest was made by a team from the Western Province North Crime Division. In addition to the T-56 firearm, police also recovered a foreign made hand grenade, 15 live rounds of T-56 ammunition, two T-56 magazines, a 9mm pistol, a magazine and two 9mm live rounds and 15 grams of Ice from the suspect’s possession. A motorbike with fake number plates, switch key of the car used in the shooting and an i-phone were also recovered.
A majority of the country’s gun crimes are connected to drug trafficking, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Crime Range and Police Spokesman Nihal Thalduwa told the Sunday Times. “These crimes will continue as long as there is drug trafficking,” he said, adding that money from drug trafficking is used to finance the purchase of weapons, which are then used to commit other crimes.
Statistics released by police on the recovery of illegal firearms in 2023 shows that the Western and Southern Provinces accounted for the most number of weapons normally used by organised criminal gangs, such as T-56 assault rifles, pistols and revolvers. Police have noted that most of the criminal gangs engaged in drug trafficking operate in these two provinces.
DIG Thalduwa meanwhile, insisted that the Yukthiya operation has been a major blow for activities of drug traffickers and organised criminal gangs since it commenced in December. “Some of the incidents that happened close together may reflect panic among the gangs given the extent of the operation,” he said.
Even for underworld gangs, purchasing firearms on the black market is not cheap and the easiest way to finance such a purchase is through drug money, said the DIG. Using the firearms to commit crimes costs even more. “For example, if you want to put out a contract to kill someone, you first need to hire the shooters as well as the weapons for them. You also need to find vehicles to transport the assassins. This costs a lot of money.”
Police investigating recent shootings have noted a new trend where in addition to shootouts between localised criminal gangs, attacks are now taking place across districts and even provinces.
The number of organised criminal gang members operating from overseas has also increased in recent times as suspects flee the country in fear of arrest. This has also created issues for law enforcement authorities as more serious crimes are now being planned and executed from abroad. This has made investigating them and tracking down suspects harder as the main players are operating outside their jurisdiction.
Police have also acknowledged that some of the shootings had been so meticulously planned that the main suspects involved, including the shooters, had been able to flee abroad within days using fake documents and passports.
Drug traffickers use a variety of methods to smuggle weapons into the country, most notably via sea. However, given that the country went through a 30-year armed conflict, a significant number of firearms were also in circulation over a long period. “Most of the weapons we have recovered have either been locally manufactured or modified to use foreign made ammunition. These still account for the majority of weapons in circulation. Foreign manufactured firearms are still relatively rare. We do not believe these gangs have a large supply of them,” said the DIG.
As DIG Crime Range, Mr Thalduwa said he has made plans to increase the number of raids conducted jointly with police intelligence units at district level jointly with the STF to target underworld gangs and illegal firearms.
He revealed that police will also obtain assistance from the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) to use their drones to carry out surveillance to identify cannabis plantations, drug trafficking routes via seas and locations where drugs are being sold.
The circulation of illegal firearms in society is a challenge, said the DIG. “However, since the Yukthiya operation is still ongoing, we believe we can make progress on tackling these criminal gangs.”
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