Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala revealed that 79 shooting incidents have occurred in the country within the past 7 months, resulting in 52 fatalities and injuries to 35 individuals. 

In response to a question raised in Parliament today (09), the Minister also stated that these shootings have occurred between September 21 last year and yesterday (08).

He explained that 62 of these shootings have been carried out by organised crime gangs, while 17 shootings have been carried out by others.

However, the minister emphasised that 260 persons have been arrested in connection with the shootings so far, of which 229 are related to organised crime.

The government has taken the necessary measures to curb the underworld, and there has been no significant increase in crimes when compared to 2022, 2023 and 2024, the Minister said, adding that it is a human life that is lost under any situation.

Minister Wijepala said the government has taken high-level decisions in this regard, and that it is unacceptable to claim that there has been a serious increase in shootings since the new government came to power.

“Our courage to suppress this underworld has not diminished even marginally. We have taken many decisions for it. Accordingly, we are doing this work according to a vision and a plan. It is a combination of both drugs and the underworld,” he told parliament. 

“Also, when we study these shootings, we will not see a significant increase from 2022, 2023, or 2024. But we do not trivialise any shooting. We treat every human life with value. Therefore, we have taken the highest decisions we can take as a government to suppress the underworld,” the minister stressed.