Police have rejected suggestions that the recent Malaysian operation connected to underworld figure “Kanjipani Imran” was a failure, saying it required navigating the laws and procedures of a foreign country.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Rohan Olugala, speaking to the media, said police operations conducted overseas must be carried out in accordance with the laws and protocols of the country concerned.
Sri Lankan officers cannot operate in a foreign jurisdiction in the same way they would at home, he said, comparing the situation to someone unfamiliar with the geography and procedures of an area outside their own locality.
Olugala said the operation should therefore not be considered a failure, but rather a learning experience for Sri Lankan authorities in dealing with foreign legal and operational procedures.
Background
Olugala led the special police team that flew three organised crime suspects back from Malaysia earlier this month. The three, described by police as associates of “Kanjipani Imran”, were arrested in Malaysia in late July by officers of the Criminal Investigation Department working with Malaysian counterparts.
Among them was the man known as “Ratmalane Saima”, identified by NewsFirst as a key associate believed to have managed the network’s financial operations. He was handed over to Peradeniya Police for further investigation on his return.
“Kanjipani Imran” has been a target of Sri Lankan law enforcement for years and is one of several senior figures police say direct drug and organised crime networks from overseas while remaining beyond the reach of local courts. Daily Mirror did not specify which aspect of the operation had drawn the criticism Olugala was responding to.
