‘Shadow state’ operating within Sri Lanka: 11 key points from President AKD’s speech

Newswire reports that Dissanayake spoke at Temple Trees during a summit on religion held in connection with the anti-drug campaign’s first anniversary. He said traffickers and organised crime groups had built an illicit network alongside Sri Lanka’s formal state structures.

Newswire says Dissanayake alleged that money from drugs had been used to sway personnel in Customs, the Department of Motor Traffic, Immigration and Emigration, the Police and other public bodies. He further alleged that traffickers backed political movements and gained places in local government.

Newswire reports that the president said his government intended to dismantle the network. He warned that the country’s younger people would not have a safe future if the criminal structure remained in place.

Newswire reports that Dissanayake valued narcotics seized by authorities during the preceding year at approximately 218 billion rupees, rising to 224 billion rupees when cannabis was counted. The supplied report begins a breakdown of the seizures but does not include the details, and it refers to proposed legislative changes without specifying them.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.