Drug lords, underworld kingpins, and illegal arms traffickers operated as a parallel government shielded by political authority, but their supply chain is now being dismantled from the top down, according to Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala.
Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala has revealed that a powerful criminal network, which he described as a “black government” operating beneath the official government, has been systematically destroyed by the current administration.
Speaking on the matter, Watagala explained that this shadow network encompassed three interconnected sectors, drug trafficking, underworld crime, and illegal arms smuggling. These elements, he said, had penetrated deep into the fabric of Sri Lankan society, reaching its very marrow.
According to the Deputy Minister, the primary reason these illegal enterprises flourished for so long was the direct intervention of political authority. Under previous administrations, he alleged, what he termed the “Diyawannawa” or political establishment stood behind this network, providing protection and enabling its survival.
He further claimed that certain politicians had funded their election campaigns through proceeds from these criminal operations. This symbiotic relationship, he noted, rendered previous governments incapable of taking meaningful action against the supply chain.
However, the current government has adopted a fundamentally different approach. Watagala stated that operations now target the highest levels of the network rather than merely intercepting shipments at the shoreline or airport. Investigations have been expanded to the international stage.
As a result, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department have conducted inquiries in Indonesia, Nepal, and Pakistan. These efforts have led to the arrest of 29 of the most powerful suppliers connected to the network.
Significantly, the Deputy Minister disclosed that key criminals brought from Indonesia have begun making confessions. These revelations have caused considerable alarm among certain parties who maintained connections with the arrested individuals.
Watagala emphasized that the current government remains committed to completely dismantling the criminal supply chain that had operated with impunity under the protection of political figures in the past.
Key phrases: black government, criminal network, drug trafficking, underworld crime, illegal arms smuggling, political protection, CID investigations, international arrests, Sunil Watagala, public security.
