Underworld turning to homemade guns as raids drain weapon supplies

Colombo, June 12 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka's criminal underworld is increasingly relying on locally manufactured firearms and imitation weapons as sustained police operations continue to reduce access to military-grade firearms.

DIG of the Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), Chandana Kodituwakku said law enforcement agencies have observed a growing shift towards homemade and counterfeit firearms due to the scarcity of genuine weapons in the hands of criminal groups.

The CCIB recently seized a locally manufactured firearm designed to resemble the Israeli-made Mini-Uzi submachine gun, a weapon typically used only by specialized security units, including Army Commandos, Special Forces, the Special Task Force and the Presidential Security Division.

The weapon was discovered during an operation based on information obtained from the interrogation of alleged underworld figure 'Mahawatte Chamara', who was recently deported from Dubai and is currently being detained by the CCIB.

The DIG said that in a separate operation, the Colombo North Special Crimes Division recovered 19 locally fabricated single-shot pistols, commonly known as 'Galkatas.' " This shows that underworld groups are increasingly turning to improvised weapons as traditional black-market supplies diminish," he said.

Police investigations have also revealed that criminal organizations are now sharing a limited number of firearms across different regions. According to forensic examinations conducted by the Government Analyst's Department, a T-56 rifle used in a homicide in Colombo had also been used in a separate shooting incident in Matara just two days earlier.

DIG Kodituwakku said the movement of the same weapon between two provinces within such a short period demonstrates the shortage of firearms available to criminal networks and shows the impact of ongoing police operations targeting illegal weapons.

He said the reduction in weapon availability follows years of intensive crackdowns on illegal firearms. Police records show that 1,459 firearms were seized during an initial phase of disarmament operations. The number of recoveries later rose to 3,022 weapons in 2023, followed by a further 2,414 firearms recovered during the following year.

Sri Lanka Police have seized a total of 2,341 firearms during special search and raid operations conducted island-wide since January 1, 2025.

Police believe the large-scale seizure of weapons has significantly weakened the operational capabilities of organized criminal groups and contributed to a decline in violent crime.

Police statistics revealed that gang-related killings, which once reached 82 in the year 2023, have steadily declined following intensified enforcement efforts.

The number of homicides later dropped to below 20 incidents this year.

The DIG said the decline in organized crime-related violence is largely due to sustained operations targeting criminal networks, increased public support and the continued seizure of illegal firearms.