Sri Lanka Police arrested 608 suspects in the latest 24-hour phase of the ongoing island-wide anti-crime and narcotics operation rolled out after the Avurudu festive season, NewsFirst reported.
The one-day tally released by Police Headquarters included 98 individuals held on open warrants, 164 held on day warrants and 26 suspects directly identified in connection with specific crimes. Additional arrests were recorded on drug trafficking charges.
Officers checked 26,600 people during divisional-level search operations across the country, with all regional police stations participating, according to the police. The sweep targets suspects linked to criminal activity, narcotics distribution and fugitives from outstanding warrants.
The post-Avurudu campaign is a recurring fixture in Sri Lanka’s policing calendar, designed to curb the spike in theft, narcotics movement and violent incidents that historically follows the New Year holidays. This year’s cycle has coincided with several high-profile incidents that underscored its urgency, including the Maharagama arson that killed a mother and daughter and a string of viral assaults recorded in Ragama and Horana.
Police have published regular updates on the cumulative arrest tally since the operation began, with the daily counts now routinely exceeding 500. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and the Criminal Investigation Department have run parallel accountability operations alongside the ordinary police sweep.
