Prez warns rogue elements in police, armed forces

Launch of national anti-narcotics drive

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday warned police and military officers involved in narcotics deals to leave the service immediately. No such rogue elements would be spared, he said.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo to mark the launch of a countrywide anti-drug operation, under the theme 'Nation United - National Drive' yesterday morning, President Dissanayake said that despite the dedication of many in the police and military, a "black state" a network of corruption and crime - was emerging because of the actions of a few:

"Some immigration officers have issued passports to underworld leaders. Because of such actions, the state has become vulnerable to decay. Though not as strong as the official state, the underworld has built a parallel system of power. This black structure must be destroyed. There cannot be two states in one country only one state can exist, one established by the democratic will of the people."

President Dissanayake warned that the criminal network was attempting to infiltrate politics:

"These forces are now entering political parties becoming candidates, chairmen, and even contesting elections. What began as an effort to protect political power has turned into an effort to dominate it. This has spread into the very roots of governance, aided for years by political blessings."

President Dissanayake stated that some senior state officials have also been involved in these criminal operations, but vowed that decisive action would be taken:

"There is a strong public expectation that we will end this. Some police officers may have been complicit, but the current IGP and senior officers are working tirelessly to eradicate this menace. This is a time when the highest number of officers in police history have been suspended for misconduct."