Police Chief Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara has issued an order to all police stations to increase the number of operations to nab criminal gangs and seize illegal firearms.
Accordingly, from today, search operations to seize illegal firearms will be resumed. The Special Task Force (STF) has also been deployed for this purpose.
Although the police have frequently conducted to seize illegal firearms, all police stations have been instructed deploy more officers to broaden the operations.
A grace period had been given for the people who are in the possession of illegal firearms to hand them over to the police.
However, intelligence units have confirmed that more than 1000 illegal firearms are still being used by criminals and others without being handed over to the government.
Police say from time to time those weapons have been used by the underworld for killings and other serious crimes. Most of these illegal firearms have been used in the Western and Southern Provinces, the police say.
From about a year ago, several underworld gangs have used the illegal firearms to murder about 20 rival gang members.