An investigation has been launched regarding the circulation of ‘fake news’ and doctored photographs on social media, which appear to falsely represent Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijepala, the Police Headquarters stated.
The incident follows a major joint operation conducted recently by the Sri Lanka Police and the Indonesian Police, during which several members of organised crime gangs – who had been hiding overseas while continuing drug trafficking and criminal activities in Sri Lanka – were arrested in Indonesia.
These suspects were brought to Sri Lanka on 30 August and a team of Indonesian Police officers who actively contributed to the operation also arrived in the country. To felicitate the Indonesian officials on behalf of the Government and to recognise the efforts of the Sri Lankan officers who were involved in the operation, Wijepala and Inspector General of Police (IGP), attorney Priyantha Weerasooriya visited the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake.
Following the event, Police said that it had noticed that doctored images attributed to Wijepala and fabricated news posts were circulated on social media platforms. These posts appear to be intended to insult and discredit Wijepala, the Police added.
In response, on 31 August, the Private Secretary of Wijepala filed an official complaint with IGP Weerasooriya, requesting legal action against those responsible for publishing and distributing these inaccurate and defamatory materials.
Acting on this complaint, the IGP has instructed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to initiate an investigation into the fake news and doctored images being spread via social media and to take legal action against the individuals involved.
Meanwhile, IGP Weerasooriya has expressed his gratitude to all agencies that contributed to the successful operation, including the International Criminal Police Organisation, the Indonesian Police, and the Indian authorities, for their assistance in combating organised crime and drug networks in Sri Lanka. The support extended by all factions was instrumental in the diplomatic and operational efforts to arrest and repatriate suspects hiding abroad, the Police Media Division stated.
On 30 August, five suspects involved in organised crime and drug trafficking in Sri Lanka, who had been hiding in foreign countries, were arrested in Indonesia and brought back to the island. Following detention orders, the suspects are currently under investigation by the CID and the Western Province North Crime Division. As part of these efforts, a special team from the CID’s Special Unit carried out the operation in Indonesia with the cooperation of local Police authorities.