Kanjipani Imran, an organised crime figure who fled Sri Lanka, will be brought back “very soon”, Deputy Minister of Defence Retired Major General Aruna Jayasekara said on Saturday.
Speaking at the Hambantota District meeting of the “Adhitana Tri-Forces Collective”, Jayasekara said 58 criminals wanted under Interpol Red Notices have been repatriated to Sri Lanka so far, including several major underworld and drug-trafficking suspects.
He said the government is now targeting the leadership of major criminal networks and dismantling them, and claimed those efforts have created fear among people involved in organised crime. Bringing highly dangerous suspects back to Sri Lanka required significant effort, he said, arguing that the government’s actions demonstrate the authority and supremacy of the rule of law.
Allegations against the former administration
Jayasekara also alleged that political figures in the previous administration had maintained links with dangerous criminals and with an LTTE figure, saying this raised questions about the state of the rule of law at the time. He did not name the individuals concerned.
Figures in circulation
The Deputy Minister’s figure of 58 repatriations sits alongside separate counts cited by police in recent weeks. Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya said on August 15 that Red Notices had been issued against 73 suspects, and that notices might be sought against a further 100.
The two figures measure different things — notices issued against suspects still abroad, as against suspects already returned — and neither official has published a breakdown reconciling them.
