Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe has instructed the Police to strictly adhere to legal procedures when conducting investigations and making arrests related to drug-related offences.
This directive was issued after the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and several senior police officers were summoned by the Attorney General amid concerns that suspects apprehended in drug-related cases are frequently released due to deficiencies in investigative processes.
The Attorney General communicated this guidance to IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya, CID Director Shani Abeysekera, the Director of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), and other senior officials of the bureau.
Also present at the meeting were Solicitor General Viraj Dayaratne PC, Deputy Solicitor General Suharshi Herath, and several other officials. They emphasized that Police should seek guidance from the Attorney General’s Department during investigations, rather than conducting inquiries independently after arrests are made.
Authorities pointed out that a failure to follow proper procedures has led to situations where suspects arrested with 30 to 40 kilograms of narcotics were released due to shortcomings in the investigative process.
The Attorney General stressed that investigations must be completed to a standard sufficient to establish reasonable grounds for prosecution, without rushing to conclude inquiries to satisfy external agendas.
