Persons crossing provincial lines charged under criminal and quarantine law

Sri Lanka Police stated that persons who cross provincial boundaries using by roads during the period of travel restrictions will be prosecuted under the Criminal Law.

Police Media Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana mentioned this addressing a media briefing held in Colombo today (May 11).

He stated that such individuals will be considered to have engaged in illegal activity and the law will be enforced against them under the quarantine law as well.

DIG Rohana urged the public to restrict travel between the provinces from 12 midnight today and to avoid unnecessary travel.

Stating that police officers, as well as the military forces, have been deployed near every provincial border, the DIG said that he expects the maximum support of the public for the officers serving at the borders

However, essential services will be in operation as per usual, he added.

Meanwhile, no special passes will be issued for persons visiting their service establishments, the Police Media Spokesman said. Essential services employees are to use their official identity cards as passes if they need to enter another province for duty.

However, if an area is isolated, residents of that area will not be allowed to travel at all, he stated.

Police officers in the isolated areas have been instructed not to leave the area even on duty, the DIG said.