If not confined to handle narcotics, STF could’ve prevented the attack: Latheef

The STF could have prevented the April 21, 2019, terror attacks if it was not confined to handle narcotics and organised crimes and had the relevant sources provided sufficient information, its head Senior DIG M. R. Latheef said today.

Commandant STF Senior DIG M. R Latheef who testified before the Parliamentary Select Committee looking into the Easter Sunday attacks revealed that the information that had been exchanged between the intelligence units and among others even on April 20 was not passed on to the STF.

“We would have started an operation to prevent the attacks if we were informed of the information that had been exchanged by intelligence units and others but we were not informed,” he said.

He revealed that he received a report on impending attacks on April 9, 2019, from the IGP who had instructed him to take steps on it.

“The letter came with an annexure. It mentioned planned attacks on several important churches and the Indian High Commission in Colombo. I acted and got in touch with the Indian High Commission and provided protection to the High Commission Office and also to the Indian House. Then I informed on the impending attacks to the officials in charge of the Presidential Security Division, the Prime Ministerial Security Division, the Ministerial Security Division and the Diplomatic Security Division,” DIG Latheef said.

“There have been exchanges of information even on April 20 including planned attacks on hotels in Colombo but I was not informed. It would have been possible to prevent the attacks if the STF was informed,” he added.

Further, he said he was not invited to the intelligence review meetings or security council meeting for about one year before the attacks.

DIG Latheef revealed that handling of narcotics and organised crimes was vested to him by a gazette notification issued in 2017 by the then minister of Law and Order.

He has been sent the gazette with a note saying the Minister of Defence has agreed to vest the subjects of narcotics and organised crimes under the STF.

Responding to a question raised by committee member Field Marshal Fonseka whether he thinks that that Easter Sunday attack was carried out in retaliation to nabbing of drug traffickers, DIG Lathiff said he did not think so.

However, he said one terror group member who was connected to the attack was found to be engaged in drug trafficking. He said most of the terror groups are associated with drug trafficking. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)