Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence has reported the arrest of 2,983 deserters from the country’s Tri-Forces during operations carried out between February 22 and May 30, 2025.
The breakdown of those arrested includes 2,261 personnel from the Army, 194 from the Navy, and 198 from the Air Force. The Ministry further noted that the Sri Lanka Police apprehended an additional 330 deserters during the same period.
These arrests targeted individuals who had abandoned their posts without official discharge from military service. The arrests follow orders from Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, who called for the immediate arrest of all armed forces deserters following a surge in criminal activities linked to former military personnel. This directive comes in response to a troubling increase in shooting incidents and organized crime involving individuals who have abandoned their posts after receiving weapons training.
Previously, Acting IGP Weerasuriya revealed that 58 organized criminal gangs, comprising approximately 1,400 individuals, are currently operating in Sri Lanka. These gangs are categorized into primary and secondary groups, with many being controlled by individuals based abroad.
“As a result of their overseas operations, we recorded 75 shooting incidents and 18 hacking murders in 2024. So far in 2025, there have been 17 shooting incidents and 5 hacking cases,” Weerasuriya stated. He also highlighted the involvement of security forces personnel in these criminal activities, noting that two police officers, one active-duty soldier, seven army deserters, and one air force member have been arrested for their direct or indirect roles in these crimes.
"There are a few in the military who are hired to go out and shoot to kill and come back to the camp," admitted Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake in an address earlier this year. “This is the situation of the country. Therefore, this is a criminal state. It is a type of state where nothing can be trusted at any time.”
Defence Secretary Thuyacontha addressed the media, acknowledging that many individuals involved in recent crimes had unofficially left or been discharged from military service shortly after receiving weapons training. He confirmed that deserters who undergo short-term weapons training are more likely to engage in criminal activities, particularly with underworld gangs.
