A total of 42 suspects have been arrested during an island-wide police operation launched targeting individuals who commit acts of abuse against children and women in public transport.
The operation, conducted yesterday between 08:00-10:00 and 17:00-19:00, was executed under the directives of Acting Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon.
Plainclothes police officers were deployed on buses, with a particular focus on streets, bus stops, and railway stations.
Of the arrests made, 18 individuals were arrested for offenses related to abuse against children and women on public transport, while an additional 24 suspects, including five pickpockets, were also arrested.
The Ministry of Public Security highlighted that the primary aim of this operation was to combat the escalating issue of sexual abuse within public transport services, in response to the growing number of complaints received by police stations on a daily basis.
