• Minister Alles receives criticism
• Large-scale drug trafficking continues nonetheless 

A group of Opposition and Government Parliamentarians are to meet next week to discuss what they claim to be the relevant authorities' failure to curb increasing crimes and the drug menace across the country.

Despite the ongoing operation 'Yukthiya' (Justice) which is aimed at eliminating organised crime and the drug menace in the country, several murders which are believed to have been directed by organised criminals and drug traffickers were reported in the past few weeks.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (12), Opposition MP Lalith Ellawala said that they have a doubt as to whether the relevant institutions including the Ministry of Public Security and the Department of Police have a sincere desire to eradicate the ever-increasing crime wave and drug menace. "In the Kalutara District, where I live, all the large-scale drug traffickers are still engaging in their businesses freely. They continue their illegal activities with political patronage and nothing has happened to them. That is why we doubt whether the relevant agencies have a real desire to solve this issue." He also said that a group including him had earlier attempted to bring a no confidence motion (NCM) against the Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, but that they had delayed it because they had felt at the time that he (Alles) was working with a genuine desire to eradicate crime and the drug menace. "We thought at the time that the Minister was working with sincere intentions, but now, we feel that it was to pave the way for Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon to become the IGP and targeting upcoming election related victories that the ‘Yukthiya’ operation was launched. What has happened is that the law has been enforced against small-scale drug traffickers, but nothing has happened to those who do it on a large-scale. Their businesses have become even more successful now."

Speaking further, he said that a group of Opposition MPs and three MPs representing the Government are scheduled to meet next week to discuss the issue and possible actions. When queried as to who the MPs representing the ruling party are, he said that it is not appropriate to reveal who they are at this point.

The Secretary to the Public Security Ministry Viyani Gunathilaka was not available for comment.

Ellawala, who was earlier a ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Government MP, and is now representing the Opposition’s Freedom People's Congress, recently warned of a NCM against Alles if the latter failed to take required measures to address the rising crime rate and to crack down on organised crime activities. He later said that they had decided not to bring the NCM as they felt that Alles was honestly working to eradicate organised crime and the drug menace.