President Anura Kumara Dissanayake revealed in Parliament on June 25, 2026, that nearly US$1 billion had been illegally taken out of Sri Lanka since 2023.
Following the President’s statement, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala also tabled a detailed report in Parliament regarding the matter.
Several parties subsequently called for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged financial irregularities. Among those who made such requests was the party led by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The period under investigation includes the time when Wickremesinghe served as President and Minister of Finance, during which the alleged illegal transactions are said to have taken place.
Considering the requests made by various parties, the Committee on Public Finance has commenced a formal investigation into the matter.
A significant revelation was made before the Committee on Public Finance yesterday when Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Asanka Kuruwita presented a report on the investigation.
According to the report submitted by the Senior DIG, approximately US$715 million had been illegally taken out of the country since 2023.
The report stated that the funds had been transferred abroad through various illegal smuggling operations.
Investigations have revealed that smugglers had exported the money while falsely presenting themselves as companies importing goods. Although the funds were transferred through both state and private banks under the claim that they were payments for imports, the relevant goods were never brought into the country.
The Committee was informed that such a large-scale outflow of funds under false pretences had been facilitated by weaknesses in the banking system, customs procedures, and the operations of the Import and Export Department under the Ministry of Finance.
The Committee on Public Finance discussed these issues extensively and focused attention on measures required to prevent such illegal financial activities and strengthen monitoring mechanisms to curb smuggling networks.
