News

A person has been taken into custody along with 138 counterfeit Rs. 5,000 currency notes.

Police stated that the suspect responsible for printing the counterfeit notes was arrested early this morning (18) within the jurisdiction of the Pihimbiyagollewa Police Division. A laptop computer, scanner, and printing machine were also found in his possession.

Further, police revealed that on the evening of September 17, 2025, acting on information received, a team of police officers attached to the Habarana Police Division carried out a search in the Habarana town area, during which a suspicious individual was found in possession of three counterfeit Rs. 5,000 notes.

Following his arrest and subsequent questioning, information was uncovered leading to the apprehension of two more suspects in the Habarana and Anuradhapura areas, each found in possession of two counterfeit Rs. 5,000 notes.

Based on additional information revealed during investigations, the main suspect who had allegedly printed the counterfeit notes was also arrested.

The arrested suspects, aged between 23 and 42, are residents of Habarana, Anuradhapura, and Paedewa.

Habarana Police are conducting further investigations into the incident.

The Sri Lanka Police urges the general public to exercise caution and carefully verify the authenticity of currency notes when making purchases or engaging in financial transactions. Members of the public are further requested to immediately inform the Sri Lanka Police of any individuals found to be in possession of, or engaging in transactions with, counterfeit currency notes.

A dead body has been recovered from a canal in the Sandungama, Pragathi Mawatha area, within the Tissamaharama Police Division.

Investigations were launched yesterday (17) evening following information received by the Tissamaharama Police.

The deceased has been identified as a 45-year-old resident of the Tissamaharama area.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the incident occurred following a personal dispute between the deceased and one of his friends, during which the suspect allegedly struck him with a bottle and drowned him in the canal , resulting in his death.

A 24-year-old friend of the victim has been taken into custody in connection with the incident, while further investigations are being conducted by the Tissamaharama Police.

The Dambulla Waste Management Facility, an award-winning waste management project in the country initiated with an investment of around Rs. 650 million, has reportedly become completely inactive.

Due to the shutdown of the waste management facility, garbage collected from several districts has been dumped into the forests, according to residents who claim that as a result, the wild animals including elephants have resorted to eating the garbage.

For a period of time, garbage collected from Dambulla city was dumped in a forest reserve, leading to significant environmental damage and the death of wild animals.

Following continuous protests by environmentalists, the Dambulla Municipal Council intervened and launched a waste management project.

The initiative successfully introduced several programs, including organic fertilizer production, hospital waste disposal, a polythene incinerator, and broader waste management measures.

Furthermore, the site was named ‘Pivithuru Arana’ and designated as a tourist zone, attracting the attention of both locals and foreigners. Electric vehicles were even operated in the area for visitors to observe elephants.

However, all such activities have now been entirely discontinued, and the collected waste is once again being transported to the Digampathaha Reserve for disposal.

The project in question is a waste management initiative that was launched previously using Japanese technology, with an estimated investment of around Rs. 650 million.

The iron fence installed to prevent wild elephants from entering the garbage yard has been dismantled, and the bamboo plantation cultivated for organic fertilizer production has been completely destroyed.

In addition, the two electric vehicles previously used to observe wild elephants and the waste management facility are now falling into decay.

The Mayor of the Dambulla Municipal Council, Wasantha K. Rajamanthri, stated that the project was carried out without proper management under the previous administration.

He further noted that maintaining the waste management yard has been challenging due to significant vacancies among management staff.

According to reports, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), the Department of Wildlife, the Department of Forest Conservation, and the Dambulla Municipal Council are now focusing on re-operating the site effectively in the future.

(adaderana.lk)

The Department of Meteorology has announced that intermittent showers or thundershowers may occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Northern, and North-Western Provinces, as well as in the Galle and Matara Districts. It further stated that certain areas are likely to experience heavy rainfall of approximately 75 mm.

In other regions, showers or thundershowers may develop in scattered places, particularly after around 1.00 p.m.

The Department of Meteorology has also urged the public to take necessary precautions to minimize the risks posed by temporary strong winds and lightning that may accompany thundershowers.

A businessman has been taken into police custody on suspicion of selling imported cigarettes to school students in the Thanamalwila area.

It has been revealed that the businessman allegedly provided school students with cigarettes of various flavors for the purpose of resale.

One cigarette was reportedly given to a student at a price of Rs. 100, and the student is said to have sold it within the school premises for Rs. 200.

Following a report made by a student to the school principal, the student who was selling the cigarettes was questioned, during which two foreign-brand cigarettes were recovered from the student’s possession.

Subsequently, upon notification to the Thanamalwila Police Inspector, the business premises were searched, and the businessman handed over 690 cigarettes along with Rs. 360,000 obtained from the sale of the cigarettes to the police.

The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Hambantota Magistrate’s Court.

The Kerawalapitiya Sobadhanavi LNG Power Plant has officially been connected to the national electricity grid.

This development took place under the leadership of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Minister of Power, Engineer Kumara Jayakody.

The Sobadhanavi power plant, located in Kerawalapitiya, has a total generation capacity of 350 megawatts, making it a significant addition to the country’s energy infrastructure.

The Ministry of Justice and National Integration and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, with support from the European Union through UNICEF, yesterday launched a groundbreaking initiative to support children who have experienced violence.

The new model service will ensure fast, child-sensitive support to child victims of violence; from the point when the case is reported to police, helplines or others, until the child is linked with sustained care and protection mechanisms.

The model service, launched in Kandy, includes six flagship initiatives of local and national scale to introduce transformative changes in the child protection and justice system. These improvements include enhancing the 1929 Helpline, introducing integrated case management, enhancing support services for children, improving efficiency of justice processes, enhancing practices for taking evidence from children, and introducing child-friendly courts with child witness rooms. The operationalisation of the model service for child victims of violence is supported by the European Union under the Support to Justice Sector Project (JURE).

The launch is an important step towards realizing national and international policy commitments as enshrined in the National Policy Framework of Sri Lanka and as part of the commitments made by Sri Lanka’s at the 2024 Bogotá Conference on Ending Violence Against Children.

Such an approach to service delivery for child victims ensures that all institutions and professionals working with children reform their services to protect children’s rights, dignity and wellbeing and to ensure speedy and quality support. The model service for child victims of violence introduces a set of changes, including digital innovations, that are guided by international best practices and are responsive to the well-known issues of efficiency and quality of services for children in Sri Lanka.

One of the first digital innovations was introduced in the Kandy High Court. New child-friendly court facilities, refurbished in an age-appropriate way and equipped with modern audio-visual technology, enable children to testify from a separate room within the court premises, operationalizing the recent amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (June 2025). This protects a child witness from direct confrontation with perpetrators, minimizing trauma.

Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara speaking on this milestone moment said, “This is a turning point for Sri Lanka’s justice system. These services will ensure that children will have a voice in court without fear, protected by law, supported by technology, and treated with dignity. This is an important step towards specializing high courts for children”

“By launching this new continuum of services, we are marking the beginning of a new way of protecting child victims of violence in Sri Lanka. By taking a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach, we aim to ensure that children receive quality justice and at the same time are able to access protection and welfare services – all delivered in a child-sensitive manner,” said Hon. Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, Saroja Paulraj, emphasizing the importance of putting children at the heart of reforms.

While acknowledging Sri Lanka’s progress, H.E. Carmen Moreno, EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka, highlights the role of the JURE project: “Violence against children remains a serious concern and demands immediate action. The European Union and UNICEF partnership, through the JURE project has been instrumental in translating the Government of Sri Lanka’s commitment to end violence against children into actions. Today sets in motion a model of child-friendly services that will assist and support children victims of violence and bring them justice”.

Reinforcing this collective achievement, UNICEF Representative in Sri Lanka, Emma Brigham said, “Today, Sri Lanka is turning its global commitments into a tangible change for children. A holistic, coordinated, and child-centered system - one that integrates both protection and justice, ensures that children are safeguarded and supported to restore their lives. We welcome this transformative approach and look forward to seeing the roll-out of such services across the country.”

(lankaleader.lk)

Two organized crime suspects, known as Backhoe Saman and Thambili Lahiru, who are currently in detention, were presented before the Walasmulla Magistrate’s Court today (17).

The suspects are being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and are currently in the custody of the Western Province North Crimes Investigation Division.

According to police, the court appearance was related to a red notice issued for their arrest, with authorities required to present details regarding the warrant.

Both individuals were among a group of five organized crime suspects, including Kehelbaddara Padme, who were recently apprehended in Indonesia and brought back to Sri Lanka.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (17) stated that Sri Lanka will not experience another crisis like the recent fuel and gas shortage, which forced citizens to queue for long hours and, in some instances, led to fatalities.

He made the remarks at the commencement of construction work on six new storage tanks at the Kolonnawa Petroleum Storage Complex, with capacities of 15,000, 7,000, and 5,000 cubic metres.

M/S Indo East Engineering and Ceylex Engineering JV have been granted a Rs. 3.7 billion contract to build the petroleum storages in Kolonnawa. The 24-month contract is expected to be completed by September 2027.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said his government is working to secure energy independence and strengthen the economy, and called on the public to support these efforts.

He warned that the government will take action if any trade union tries to disrupt its plans.

The president also noted the importance of using modern technology and assured that any effects on workers will be handled with care.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake urged everyone to support the country’s progressive changes rather than view them through a narrow political lens.

Referring to the electricity tariffs, the president said Sri Lanka had the highest rates in the region, which are now being rectified.

The president also announced that 24 petroleum storage tanks in Trincomalee will be renovated, and added that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) earned Rs. 18.2 billion in profits during the first eight months of this year.

The planned 9-hour water cut in several areas of Colombo tomorrow (18th) has been cancelled.

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) announced this in a statement.

Earlier, the board had said that water supply from the Ambatale Water Treatment Plant would be disrupted due to a power cut at the main pump station supplying the plant.

However, the latest announcement confirms that the water cut will no longer take place in the following areas:

Colombo 01 to 15

Battaramulla, Pelawatta, Hokandara, Koswatta, Talawatugoda, Kotte, Rajagiriya, Mirihana, Madivela, Nugegoda, Nawala, Kolonnawa, IDH, Kotikawatta, Angoda, Wellampitiya, Orugodawatta, Mulleriyawa, Maharagama, Boralesgamuwa, Dehiwala, Ratmalana, Moratuwa

For more information, contact the call center at 1939.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered the release of Thusitha Halloluwa, who had been held in remand custody, on bail.

Accordingly, Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva directed that the suspect be released on two surety bails of Rs. 5 million each.

Furthermore, the court imposed a travel ban on the suspect and ordered that his passport be surrendered to the court.

Thusitha Halloluwa, a former Director of the National Lotteries Board, had been taken into custody and remanded in connection with a shooting incident that occurred in the Narahenpita area involving the vehicle he was travelling in.

He was apprehended on August 19 by the Colombo Crimes Division during a raid carried out in the Kollupitiya area.

The next session of Parliament is scheduled to be held from September 23 to 26, 2025.

Accordingly, on Tuesday, September 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the second reading debate of the National Building Research Institute Bill will take place.

Subsequently, from 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the House is scheduled to consider the motion to adjourn brought forward by the Opposition.

    https://parliament.lk/en/news-en/view/4790?category=6