Sri Lankans love drama and a good show. We are good storytellers and builders of narratives, and we have a history to prove it. What we are not good at is seeing through smoke and mirrors of various narratives which are pushed to keep the citizenry at ease, under the illusion that all is well.

Over the last six months, the Government and the Police have been at pains to highlight that there is an ongoing crackdown on organised crime, particularly on narco crime. The effort, termed ‘Yukthiya’ (Justice) has won praise and has drawn criticism, for the dragnet tactics used, and the lack of tangible results such as drug kingpins arrested. Proponents of ‘Yukthiya’ often quote the colossal number of low-level suspects that are netted each day as a measure of success. Such a number of suspects can only yield drug abuses, warrant holders and low-level drug peddlers. 

However, such retail crime fighting – dragnet tactics do not net the kingpins. We are yet to see notable drug barons being arrested in numbers or prosecuted. Could it be that the mass arrest tactics employed by the Police is more theatre for a disgruntled public to consume, over effective crime fighting? The Police leadership, ministers in the Government, and most recently the President himself have deflected criticism regarding the failure to arrest drug kingpins and stem the persistent gun violence, by blaming defence counsels for being more efficient and the state prosecutors’. The excuse is showing age, especially in light of all the taxpayers money spent on crime fighting, and foreign assistance which is received with the aim of improving the judicial structures and the Attorney General's department.   

Yesterday, the illusion of ‘Yukthiya’ – that crime fighting in Sri Lanka was making significant progress, and that island nation will be rid of organised crime, soon, was shattered once again, with the daylight double murder which occurred last morning in Athurugiriya. The incident occurred when two well-armed, and clearly well-trained gunmen rushed into an opening ceremony of a beauty/tattoo parlour in Athurugiriya and emptied a magazine worth of rifle ammunition (nearly 27-30 rounds) into a gathering that included children. It is a miracle that no child was harmed (from the information available). Two persons, one businessman, who is rumoured to have his hand in many pies, and one of his colleagues were killed. Three others including a popular singer were injured. Police suspect that Wasntha Surendra Perera, alias ‘Club Wasanth’ was the target of the ‘hit,’ and that the crime was set up by an organised crime figure living overseas. Given the precision with which the two gunmen executed their task, and that despite heightened police presence in and around Colombo, have managed to evade and escape, the narrative of ‘Yukthiya’ has once again crumbled at the feet of the State.

Earlier this year, a similar ‘hit’ cost the lives of five in Beliatta area in Tangalle in January, when two ‘shooters’ brandishing assault rifles (Type-56), similar to the ones used today cut down five persons, including Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya (Our Power of People Party [OPPP]) Leader Saman Perera, who had been on his way to appear before Courts. As with the Beliatta murders, with the double homicide yesterday, the Police are quick to highlight that they are throwing significant resources to arrest the culprits. 

And like with the Beliatta murders, which was also linked to organised crime, progress will take time to unravel the who, why and what of this crime as well. However, the issue at hand is that the State and the law enforcement agencies cannot hide behind the fact that the so called ‘shot-callers’ of Sri Lanka’s underworld, the Mafioso’s of organised crime are resident overseas, in other jurisdictions. 

Sri Lanka has been suffering from a gun violence epidemic, and despite the Operation “Yukthiya’ has been in effect since December 2023, and Yukthiya 2.0 being launched with much televised air time, the status quo on the streets have changed little. Gunmen with military grade weapons, still kill people in broad daylight with little or no regard. The thing about theatre and narratives, is that they seldom last long. With elections knocking on our doors, will the Government pull up its socks and get down to proper policing, where solid cases for effective prosecution are the focus, and effective prosecutors tasked with throwing the book at criminals. Or will they continue this spectacle which does little to effectively fight crime in Sri Lanka?