Sri Lanka Police have issued a fresh directive requiring all firearm licence holders to produce their weapons for inspection at the nearest police station every six months, as part of the 2026 licence-renewal procedure.
The Police Media Division said in a statement on Monday that owners must present the firearm six months after obtaining or renewing a licence, with officers verifying that the weapon is functional and that its serial number matches the details on the licence. The check is in addition to the annual renewal cycle.
The directive has been issued in line with instructions from the National Security Council and applies to every category of firearm licence. The Inspector General of Police has instructed all Officers-in-Charge of police stations and senior officers to implement the inspection regime and certify compliance before the licence can be renewed.
The move is part of a broader tightening of weapons control in the wake of a string of organised-crime shootings on the southern and western coasts, including a slaughterhouse owner shot dead in Kalutara South and the arrest of former MP Chandana Kathriarachchi with a T-56 assault rifle and a hand grenade. Earlier in the cycle the Police also began seizing pen-shaped firearms linked to organised-crime networks and stepped up Interpol red-notice recoveries through Dubai cooperation under the Rata Ekata anti-narcotics operation.
Sources: Ada Derana.
