Case Explained: Govt. to unveil tough new law to dismantle crime gangs – Breaking News – Legal Perspective

Colombo, April 1 (Daily Mirror) – The government is to introduce a new law within the next two weeks aimed at targeting and dismantling organized crime networks.

Police said that the current reliance on the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to detain drug traffickers is only temporary. It will soon be replaced by the “Organized Crime Control Bill,” which is designed to close legal loopholes that have previously allowed high-profile criminals to evade justice or continue their operations from prison.

A key feature of the new legislation is that it gives law enforcement the authority to remove convicted criminals from prison and return them to police custody for ongoing investigations.

“We cannot hide behind legal gaps anymore. We have criminals with powerful names that people are falsely intimidated by. Under this new Act, no one will be able to operate from within a cell. If they are linked to new crimes, they will be pulled out of prison and held by police for rigorous investigation, “DIG of the Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), Chandana Kodituwakku said.

For suspects fleeing abroad, the government is using international cooperation frameworks to freeze and seize assets. In recent months, billions of rupees in illegally earned property, vehicles, and cash have been confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The Criminal Investigation Department has also tracked and arrested 29 top-level drug suppliers across Indonesia, Nepal, and Pakistan. In addition, the Sri Lanka Navy seized narcotics worth over Rs. 25 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone.

“We have already confiscated billions, and with this new law, there will be no safe haven, not even inside a prison wall,” the DIG said.