Organised crime reaching alarming levels, claiming 103 lives in 2024
About 13 people have been killed in armed clashes between gangs and criminal groups in the past three months alone. In 2023, 61 people were killed and 47 wounded. Experts believe the phenomenon is facilitated by political connections.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Gun violence involving organised crime is on the rise in Sri Lanka. About 103 people were killed in more than a hundred violent incidents reported from January to December 2024, an escalation of violence that worries the population.
In the last three months alone, 13 people were killed in shootings between gangs and criminal groups, the latest last Thursday in Ahungalla, Southern Province.
In 2023, 61 people were killed and 47 wounded in more than a hundred shootings. According to the police, most of these incidents are related to disputes among underworld gangs, taking place in some cases in broad daylight, with gunmen firing without hesitation in front of astonished witnesses.
One of the most serious incidents of 2023 involved the murder of five people near the Beliatta Exit of the Southern Expressway on 22 January, in which Saman Perera, leader of the Our Power of People party, also died.
Also in January, gunmen killed a Buddhist monk at a temple in Malwathu Hiripitiya, Gampaha. On 8 July, businessman Surendra Wasantha Perera, known as "Club Wasantha," was killed in Athurugiriya along with another person during the opening of a beauty salon in Athurugiriya.
The increase in gun violence reflects a growing disillusionment with the state, this according to lawyers Raja Selvadurai and Namini Samarakoon speaking to AsiaNews.
Sri Lankans increasingly believe that the state has abandoned them, and “the increase in gun use may stem from a belief that legal avenues are ineffective and that they must take matters into their own hands for protection.”
This loss of trust in the justice system, combined with an increase in drug use, has created a breeding ground for crime. What is more, despite laws against gun ownership, enforcement remains ineffective.
"The shortcomings of law enforcement allow criminals to act with impunity, further exacerbating the problem," the legal experts pointed out, reflecting systemic weaknesses that fuel a cycle of crime and distrust in institutions.
At a media briefing, police spokesman SSP Buddhika Manatunga said that although the number of incidents in 2024 compared to the previous year were down, police have beefed up their operations against organised crime.
“We have issued (Interpol) Red Notices for 63 wanted criminals operating overseas, such as in Dubai, India, and Canada,” he said. “We also seized a significant cache of firearms in the past three months, including 37 pistols, 36 revolvers, 20 T56 rifles, and 2,202 other weapons such as shotguns and ‘*galkatas” (homemade hand guns).
A Special Task Force has played a key role in the last three months, arresting 56 people, including a woman in possession of three weapons.
Police will continue to disarm criminal networks, who “have thrived in recent years.” At the same time, they will “continue ongoing efforts to bring to book those in possession of illegal firearms.”
The growth of organised crime is also linked to “political complicity,” argue legal scholars Dushni Livera and Sampath Dissanayaka. “Thugs and drug lords often have political connections, which is how they acquire weapons and operate with impunity.”
In recent years, many underworld leaders have been freed in exchange for political favours, perpetuating a cycle of corruption and violence. For the experts, “dismantling the underworld will take time and sustained effort.”
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22/04/2021 14:01
21/08/2020 12:45
