There have been incidents where police officers conducting investigations related to drugs and organised criminal activities have been threatened by criminals, particularly those based in other countries, but the officers, with such challenges, perform their duties in a more robust and organised manner, stated the Police Department.

It was recently reported that organised crime figures based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, were threatening Police officers, particularly those engaged in combating organised crime, in their attempts to disrupt operations conducted against drugs and organised crime. Such reports were confirmed to a great extent with the recent assassination of Inspector of Police (IP) Dadimuni Balendrasinghe in Rathgama, Galle.

When contacted by The Daily Morning to inquire about the matter, the Police Media Spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police Nihal Thalduwa said that there had been incidents of police officers being subjected to threats from criminals. "There are certain threats to officers who investigate organised criminals. One officer was even shot dead recently. However, what happened in that case was that that officer (IP Balendrasinghe) was not a serving officer at the time of his assassination. If he was serving, he would have been in possession of a weapon and one would have been hesitant to approach him." Speaking further, he said that police officers have to face challenges when dealing with investigations related to criminals, and that the challenges would increase when the investigations are broadened. "Incidents are reported from time to time, and challenges are always there for officers. The greater the investigation, the greater the challenge, but, the officers face them in a more organised manner and strongly when there are challenges. There is no setback. They face it fearlessly. The officers have not taken a step back in the past, and they will not do so in the future either."

The country has seen a rise in the use and trade of drugs in the recent past, which has also resulted in a sharp rise in crimes including murders. There were several incidents of individuals who are said to have engaged in the drug trade, or had connections with drug traders, being shot dead, particularly in the Western and Southern Provinces. Against this backdrop, the Police stated that they had taken several steps such as increasing search operations and police patrols, to curb such crimes.