* Dedicated phone line for each Police Division for tip-offs

* Informants’ numbers cannot be traced

* Drug lords, traffickers, distributors targeted

The police operation, “Justice” will be launched from today (17) till December 23 to cover the entire island to arrest drug traffickers and distributors.

Police sources said that the entire strength of the Police Force will focus on drug raids during this period. Senior Superintendent of Police Nihal Talduwa said that nine DIGs have been appointed to cover all nine provinces to oversee the operation.

The police are working to get information from the public as well as Community Police committees for these raids and 45 special telephone numbers have been assigned to every Police Division nationwide for the purpose. SSP Talduwa said that the telephone numbers will not identify the caller (no Caller Line Identification facility) and, therefore, the informant’s identity is secured for anonymous tip-offs.

SSP Talduwa also said that Community Police committees will be strengthened along with these operations. Even at present, efforts are being made at police stations to change officers of weak Community Police committees.

SSP Talduwa said that this operation will focus on more manpower on the Western and Southern Provinces where gang warfare has erupted among drug lords. Intelligence Agencies have also documented information of drug traffickers and sellers in these provinces, the police said.

The operation is launched under the supervision of Acting Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon, according to orders of Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles.

For this purpose, a special operation room has been set up at the Police Headquarters and these operations are carried out 24 hours a day under the supervision of senior DIGs in charge of the provinces and SSPs in charge of divisions. A special mobile phone has been given to the Senior Superintendents of Police in all 45 Police Divisions covering all Police Divisions and since the caller cannot be identified on that phone, his or her identity will not be revealed, so any information related to drugs can be given confidentially.

For these special operations, the Sri Lanka Police and the Special Task Force will combine their resources, and in certain cases, the support of the Armed Forces will also be obtained.

The public can provide information through the Police Headquarters Special Operations Room telephone number – 071 8598800. Also the details of drugs can be given and the telephone numbers given for the divisions are as follows.

Colombo North 071-8598801; Colombo South 071-8598803; Colombo Central 071-8598804; Nugegoda 071-8598805; Mount Lavinia 071-8598806; Gampaha 071-8598807; Negombo : 071-8598808; Kelaniya 071-8598809; Panadura 071-8598810; Kalutara 071-8598811; Matara : 071-8598812; Tangalle : 071-8598813; Galle : 071-8598814; Elpitiya 071-8598815; Kandy 071-8598816; Matale 071-8598817; Theldeniya 071-8598818; Gampola 071-8598819; Nuwara Eliya 071-8598820; Hatton 071-8598821, Kurunegala 071-8598822; Kuliapitiya 071-8598823; Nikaweratiya : 071-8598824; Puttalam 071-8598825; Chilaw 071 -8598826; Anuradhapura 071-8598827; Polonnaruwa 071-8598828; Kebithigollewa 071-8598829; Ratnapura 071-8598830, Embilipitiya 071-8598831; Kegalle 071-8598832 ; Seethawakapura 071-8598833; Jaffna : 071-8598834; KKS 071-8598835; Vavuniya : 071-8598836; Mannar 071-8598837; Kilinochchi 071- 8598838; Mullaitivu 071-8598839; Batticaloa : 071-8598840; Ampara : 071-8598841; Trincomalee 071-8598842; Kantale 071-8598843; Badulla : 071-8598844; Bandarawela : 071-8598845; Moneragala : 071-8598846

Information can also be given confidentially to ops.narcotics@police.gov.lk via email.