548 suspects arrested as police screen over 26,000 in island-wide raids

May 4, 2026 10:08 am

Under the directives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), a large number of individuals were taken into custody during island-wide operations conducted to prevent crime and drug trafficking.

According to Sri Lanka police, a total of 26,346 individuals were screened during operations carried out yesterday (03).

Of these, 548 individuals were arrested on suspicion, while 147 persons were directly identified as being involved in criminal activities.

In addition, 212 individuals with outstanding warrants and 158 suspects named in open warrants were apprehended during these operations, said police.

Furthermore, 135 individuals were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, and 83 were taken into custody for reckless driving.

Legal action was also initiated against 3,996 individuals for various other traffic-related violations, police said.

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