• Meth epidemic among youth
• President urges Police reform
• Experts call for guardrails

With the increase in illegal drug use and abuse, particularly among the youth at various parties and events, Sri Lankan authorities have introduced facial recognition technology in an effort to combat a potential epidemic. 

A total of 278 arrests occurred at six major youth parties and one concert in the Western Province alone in 2025, with methamphetamine (ice), Kerala cannabis, heroin, cocaine, narcotic pills, and illegal cigarettes being seized. 

The above arrests are exclusive of other drug-related arrests and seizures that have occurred in 2025 where more than two tonnes of methamphetamine and 1.5 tonnes of heroin have already been confiscated. 

Methamphetamine use has skyrocketed in recent years and Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler echoed these statistics, pointing out that it was the most common narcotic to be found at youth parties that had been raided in 2025. 

“Normally it is methamphetamine and cannabis that are found at these parties and events. At present it appears to be mostly observed in the Western Province, but the Police, along with other stakeholders, is trying its best to deliver the correct message to various schools, teachers, and officials,” he said, speaking to The Sunday Morning.

Drug abuse is never limited to adults and underage drug use among the youth, particularly methamphetamine, is on the rise. Public and private events are a hotbed for youth to experiment and be exposed to illegal substances. 

“The parties are usually organised by those who are legally adults but underage children sometimes get inside. In the midst of it there are individuals who come and start selling and spreading drugs,” the Police Spokesman said. 

He revealed that new measures and technologies including facial recognition were now being used to tackle crime. 

“It is being monitored very strictly now. Getting support from all stakeholders is a collective effort. The Criminal Record Division is equipped with the latest technology. In fact, facial recognition is being introduced as well. This technology will be used to identify and monitor individuals who we haven’t arrested that frequent these parties and for any patterns of illicit drug use or other illegal activities,” he added.  

Police in the spotlight

On 3 September, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, addressing the 159th Police Day celebrations held at the Police Stadium, Thimbirigasyaya under the theme ‘Let’s Protect the Law – Let’s Value Peace,’ called on all corrupt Police officials to voluntarily resign before legal action was initiated against them. 

“It must be said, even if reluctantly, that a handful have neglected their duty. I urge those officers who are corrupt to abandon such practices. Otherwise, they should resign. If not done voluntarily, we are prepared to remove them from service. We know who they are. We must re-establish the respect that every department rightfully deserves,” the President said, addressing the gathering.  

When asked about the reaction of the Police to this stark warning by the President, the Police Spokesman said that steps were already being taken to weed out corrupt individuals in the Police force. 

“It is not only the Police; every citizen of the country has to be honest and show integrity. In the Police, no doubt we had individuals who were using drugs as well as those involved in the drug trade. Strict disciplinary action has been taken and they have been sent home. This is not only the Police but every Government servant. The message is clear: they must be honest and work with integrity,” ASP Wootler said. 

Devil is in the details

Meanwhile Asela Waidyalankara, a leading voice in cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy, critically examined the new initiative by authorities to use facial recognition to combat crime. 

He highlighted fundamental questions that remained unanswered, noting: “The technology is not current. There is a long-standing history of this technology. One point that must be made is, what are these faces? Where is the training data coming from? What are the ethical guardrails? For example, the European Union (EU) AI Act specifically prohibits any facial recognition-related profiling activities.”

Waidyalankara cautioned that while deploying such technology sounded promising, its impact hinged on the details of implementation and adherence to human rights standards. “The devil is in the details of how this technology is used,” he said.

Predictive policing

An additional concern lies in predictive policing, where the application of advanced analytical techniques, including algorithms and AI, plays a role in forecasting potential criminal activities and optimising the allocation of law enforcement resources. 

This approach involves the examination of extensive datasets comprising historical crime records, and occasionally incorporates additional relevant data, to identify geographic areas with a heightened likelihood of criminal incidents or to assess individuals who may present an elevated risk of engaging in criminal behaviour. 

While proponents assert that predictive policing enhances the objectivity and efficiency of crime prevention efforts, it has also been subject to substantial criticism due to concerns regarding inherent biases, violations of privacy, and a lack of transparency in its methodologies. 

According to Waidyalankara, experiences from other countries reveal the pitfalls of this practice. “We have seen this in other countries where technology is used to predict high crime areas based on historical data. But the reality is that more discrimination happens. In the US, they tried this and it was found that certain communities were disproportionately targeted,” he said.

Waidyalankara outlined critical governance questions that required answering before such technologies were fully embraced by law enforcement. 

“When speaking about guardrails, several questions must be answered: What are the controls that you’re putting into it? Who has access to it? Can a Police officer outside of his scope of work still have access to this system? Because they may use it for personal reasons and you don’t want that. Will this technology be used for its intended purpose or will it also be used for other things? We have seen certain tools being used for purposes that were not envisaged. We have seen laws also being misused for certain investigations and in certain instances.”

To safeguard against abuse, Waidyalankara stressed the urgent need for a dedicated cybersecurity agency to monitor and police the facial recognition system. 

“This is why a cybersecurity agency needs to come in; the law is still being drafted. This is where independent agencies outside the Police must come into play. We have a saying in our industry, ‘A maker cannot be the checker.’ In that spirit, there must be an independent authority that is overseeing this system, looking at audits, and monitoring the system overall,” he asserted.

Drawing parallels from the banking sector, Waidyalankara pointed out the extensive scrutiny and auditing mechanism applied to financial institutions.

“If you look at the banking industry, banking systems hold a lot of data, but they are under a lot of scrutiny. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has guidelines; there are imposed ISO audits that they have to do where outsiders come in and not look at the data but look at the systems and controls.”

Best practices

Waidyalankara proposes best practices that Sri Lanka could adopt for facial recognition technology governance. 

“Who has access to it? If a person no longer is working in the bank, they must no longer have access to it. If they are not working in a particular division, they must no longer have access to it. All of their systems get audited and they must act on those audits, or else they will lose the certification,” he said.

Sri Lanka’s decision to leverage facial recognition technology reflects a broader global trend towards integrating AI tools in law enforcement. However, as expert analysis makes clear, the challenge lies in balancing security goals with protecting civil liberties.

Without clear, comprehensive laws and independent oversight, the risks of data misuse, privacy violations, and discriminatory outcomes could undermine public trust in the technology and those who deploy it. 

Targeted raids

In 2025, the Police carried out multiple targeted raids on public events such as parties and music concerts that were openly organised or advertised, often through social media. These events attracted large crowds and were accessible to the general public. 

Amid an intensified national anti-narcotics campaign, these operations resulted in hundreds of arrests, primarily involving young people. There were no documented raids related to illicit drugs at other types of public gatherings, like political rallies, markets, or cultural festivals, during this period. Below are confirmed instances of Police action in this context.

1. Seeduwa Facebook party (23 March)

• Location: Hotel in Kidigodan Bellanawatte, Seeduwa (Colombo suburbs).

• Details: Raid on a youth gathering (ages 18-25) organised and promoted via Facebook, attended by around 76 people.

• Arrests: 76 individuals (59 men, 17 women).

• Drugs seized: Methamphetamine (ICE), Kerala cannabis, and illegal cigarettes.

• Outcome: All remanded for possession and investigation into distribution.

2. Pamunugama Instagram party (24 March)

• Location: Hotel in Uswetakeyyawa/Pamunugama area (near Colombo).

• Details: Police raided an ‘Instagram party’ event for youths (ages 18-35), organised via Instagram, with 57 attendees.

• Arrests: 57 people (41 men, 16 women).

• Drugs seized: ICE (methamphetamine) and Kerala cannabis from 16 suspects.

• Outcome: Suspects remanded; event deemed a hub for drug use.

3. Panadura Facebook party (15 June)

• Location: Private venue in Panadura (southern Colombo suburbs).

• Details: Raid on a social gathering organised through Facebook, targeting suspected drug activity among attendees.

• Arrests: 26 individuals (mostly youths).

• Drugs seized: Unspecified narcotics, including cannabis and pills.

• Outcome: All taken into custody for possession charges.

• Details: Tip-off led to the raid on a party promoted via social media, with around 21 young attendees.

• Arrests: 21 people.

• Drugs seized: Cannabis and narcotic pills.

• Outcome: Suspects remanded pending further probes.

4. Uswetakeiyawa/Pamunugama area Instagram party (23 March)

• Location: A hotel in Uswetakeiyawa/Pamunugama area

• Details: Raid on a social gathering organised through Instagram, targeting suspected drug activity among attendees.

• Arrests: 57 individuals, including the owner of the hotel.

• Drugs seized: ICE (methamphetamine) and cannabis.

Caption:

While the Sri Lanka Police has disclosed a new initiative to use facial recognition to combat crime, with special emphasis being placed on tackling illegal activities at youth parties, cybersecurity experts warn that its impact hinges on the details of implementation and adherence to human rights standards

PHOTO © ANALYTICS INDIA

Quotes:

1

Getting support from all stakeholders is a collective effort. The Criminal Record Division is equipped with the latest technology. In fact, facial recognition is being introduced as well. This technology will be used to identify and monitor individuals who we haven’t arrested that frequent [youth] parties and for any patterns of illicit drug use or other illegal activities

Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler

2

We have a saying in our industry, ‘A maker cannot be the checker.’ In that spirit, there must be an independent authority that is overseeing this [facial recognition] system, looking at audits, and monitoring the system overall

Cybersecurity expert Asela Waidyalankara