• Cops to return to established operational structure
• Anti-narcotics and organised crime policing to continue within general structure

The Department of Police have announced the immediate release of Police officers deployed on the operation Justice (Yukthiya) due to concerns that their involvement in these duties was affecting the performance of Police divisions and stations.

In a circular addressed to senior police officers, Inspector General of Police (acting) Priyantha Weerasooriya said that it had been noticed that the deployment of Police officers for the Yukthiya operation had affected the discharging of other police duties.

"The officers of all ranks, including gazetted officers, assigned to carry out duties under the Yukthiya operations by the Police, are hereby released with immediate effect. The relevant Police divisions and stations should however investigate information related to organised crime and drug trafficking, and take necessary measures in consultation with senior officers of their divisions to combat them," the circular read.

The islandwide operation, Yukthiya, which was announced only one day in advance, was first launched on 17 December 2023 on the instructions of the then Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles and the then Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon. It was launched with the support of other security forces such as the Special Task Force (STF) and the Sri Lanka Army. During the raids conducted throughout the country, thousands of suspects were arrested for possession of drugs, and their alleged involvement in various crimes.

While various local and international parties called for the then Government to suspend the Yukthiya operation, the Government went ahead with it, claiming that the drug menace and organised crime can be eliminated within the course of a few months.