Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary orders immediate arrest of military deserters

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), has issued a directive for the immediate arrest of all individuals who have deserted the country’s security forces.

This decision comes in response to a troubling surge in violent crimes, many of which have been linked to former military personnel with weapons training.

During a media briefing at the Department of Government Information on February 22, 2025, Thuyacontha confirmed that investigations have revealed a significant number of military officers who illegally abandoned their service before completing their full tenure are involved in underworld activities.

He noted that many of these individuals had been arrested in connection with recent crimes.

“We have been paying close attention to these incidents. A few days ago, we issued an order to take such individuals into custody. When personnel receive weapons training and leave within a short period – like one or two years – the likelihood of them being involved with the underworld increases. To counter this, we have facilitated the military police to arrest these individuals,” the Defence Secretary stated.

Thuyacontha emphasized that this issue has become a serious social concern, and the Ministry of Defence is taking strict action to prevent further incidents.

He assured that under the current administration, organized crime gangs would no longer receive political protection, a practice that had persisted for decades.

In addition to tackling crime, the Ministry of Defence has initiated a systematic audit of illegally issued firearms. Supported by the tri-forces, this initiative has already recovered most of these weapons, with only a few remaining unaccounted for.

Thuyacontha expressed confidence that this effort would prevent further misuse of firearms and eliminate confusion regarding their issuance.

The Defence Secretary reaffirmed the government’s commitment to swift and strict law enforcement to combat organized crime and ensure national security.