The Bar Association of Sri Lanka states that it will pay close attention to the way the police work in the country-wide ‘Justice’ operation to eliminate drug trafficking and organized crime, and will discuss it with all stakeholders including the President and Defense Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Public Security Minister Tiran Alas. Sri Lanka Latest News
On the advice of Public Security Minister Tiran Alas and Acting Inspector General of Police Deshbandu Tennakoon, Operation ‘Justice’ was launched across the island on December 17, 2023.
It will be launched with the support of other security forces such as the Police Special Task Force and the Army.
Thousands of suspects allegedly involved in drug possession and various crimes have been arrested in islandwide raids.
President’s Attorney Kaushalya Navaratne, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Bar Association, says that he is paying attention to how the police are acting concerning this operation.
“The police are arresting hundreds of thousands of suspects, remanding them, obtaining detention orders, demolishing properties, confiscating properties. The police decide what to do. They can’t do it. This is not a police state.” He said.
Emphasizing that a process and a law must be followed, he points out that the operation must go through the legal system.
“There are judges in the country, this has to go through the legal process. We have raised our concern not once but many times in this regard. But now they have increased these operations. We are currently in the process of finalizing certain communications regarding this matter. We are discussing these issues not only with the Minister but with the President and all other stakeholders.” He also states that
