The police have identified and documented 4,665 individuals categorized as Island Re-convicted Criminals (IRCs) across various provinces in the country.
Geographical distribution of these suspects reveals concentrations in different provinces: 1,625 in the Western Province, 509 in the Southern Province, 346 in the Central Province, 312 in the Northern Province, 414 in the Sabaragamuwa Province, 331 in the Uva Province, 381 in the North Central Province, 394 in the North West Province, and 353 in the Eastern Province.
In response to this alarming revelation, the police launched a week-long island-wide operation targeting drug traffickers and individuals involved in organized crime. Within the first three days of the operation, a significant crackdown resulted in the arrest of 503 suspects from the IRC list.
The arrest figures indicate a swift and efficient response, with 116 suspects apprehended on Sunday, 169 on Monday, and 218 on the following day. Moreover, the broader operation led to the arrest of an additional 2,296 suspects, including 85 females, bringing the total number of individuals in custody to 6,583 within the initial three days, as reported by the Public Security Ministry.
