Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa stated that reports of shootings carried out by criminals emerge daily from various parts of Sri Lanka, indicating that the government’s initiatives against organized crime have failed. He noted that many administrations believe the social scourge of narcotics can be eradicated simply by setting specific targets for the police to achieve. He made these remarks while addressing Parliament today.
The MP further remarked that Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya has found himself in a difficult position by attempting to act entirely in accordance with the government's wishes. Rajapaksa emphasized that the IGP must realize he serves as the Inspector General of the Sri Lanka Police not as the IGP for the National People's Power (NPP) or the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
Namal Rajapaksa also pointed out that while the authorities should be arresting the key figures who orchestrate and manage drug trafficking networks, the government is instead focusing solely on the arrest of individuals addicted to drugs. He pointed out that individuals who fall into the clutches of the law due to drug use should be rehabilitated; doing so would reduce the number of people being sent to prison and prevent unnecessary overcrowding within the prison system.
Namal Rajapaksa further remarked that prisons in Sri Lanka are akin to "hell on earth."
Elaborating on this, the MP stated:
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Look at the conditions inside these prisons they are like hell on earth. There are 300 people crammed into a room designed for 20. There are no proper sanitary or toilet facilities. The overcrowding is severe, yet no one addresses these issues. Instead, in an attempt to demonstrate the enforcement of its laws and its own performance, the government ends up remanding innocent people.
A prime example of this is what happened to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) yesterday. Simply rounding up youths from the streets and charging them under Section 54 [of the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance] will not solve this problem.