A powerful 'shadow state' has emerged within the country, President warns

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has warned that a powerful 'shadow state' has emerged within Sri Lanka. He accused drug traffickers and organised criminal networks of using their economic strength to target politicians, law enforcement officers, state officials and state institutions.

Addressing a religious convention held at Temple Trees to mark the first anniversary of the government's national anti-drug operation, he said an underground criminal network has grown in parallel with the lawful state machinery and poses a serious threat to the country's future.

Drugs worth about Rs 218 billion were seized over the past year; including cannabis the figure rises to Rs 224 billion. The seizures comprise 6,528 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 4,000 kilograms of heroin, 1,841 kilograms of hashish, 314 kilograms of cocaine and 2,598 kilograms of other narcotics, along with about 4.5 million drug tablets. A further 150 kilograms of heroin and ICE were seized on the day of the event itself, the President revealed.

The quantities seized are only a fraction of the illegal trade, and a much larger amount may have entered the market, the President warned. He said the government's efforts are not limited to seizing drugs and arresting suspects but also target the financial and institutional networks that sustain organised crime.

Assets worth Rs 4.5 billion believed to have been earned through criminal activity have been frozen, he said, adding that strengthening the legal framework is essential to confront the drug trade. The proposed legal changes are part of a broader effort to dismantle criminal networks and prevent traffickers from using their wealth and influence to infiltrate state institutions.