Sri Lankan police are still searching for their own chief, while President Anura Kumara Dissanayake held discussions with top officers from the Western Province today (18 March), his office said.

During the meeting at the Presidential Secretariat, Dissanayake pledged to provide the necessary resources to combat organized crime and drug trafficking while introducing new legislation, according to a statement from the President’s Media Division.

The president stressed that maintaining the rule of law is a core responsibility of the police, adding that a just society cannot be established without ensuring legal supremacy.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Thennakoon is wanted over a controversial shooting on 31 December 2023 in Weligama, sparking a gun battle between rival police units.

The Matara Magistrate’s Court issued an open warrant for Thennakoon’s arrest last week, while the Court of Appeal on Monday (17 March) dismissed a petition by his lawyers seeking to quash the warrant.