{
  "id": 6828928,
  "title": "Underworld going great guns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/underworld-going-great-guns",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-11T23:55:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Island Sri Lanka",
    "slug": "the-island-sri-lanka",
    "url": "http://island.lk/underworld-going-great-guns/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The country is plagued by regular killings, with recent examples including a grenade attack that claimed the lives of two children in Dehiwala. The attackers, believed to be part of an underworld gang, fled the scene in a trishaw after lobbing the grenade. Police have repeatedly attributed such incidents to gang rivalries, but the reality is that the underworld has proven its ability to strike anywhere at will, leaving no one safe.\n\nDespite claims by the government and police that their operations against underworld gangs have weakened crime syndicates, the reality on the ground is stark. These powerful criminal networks even intimidate religious custodians, such as shrine authorities dedicated to local guardian deities. They have even threatened to attack religious processions, as evidenced by the case of Kanjipani Imran, a drug dealer operating from overseas. Imran threatened the Basnayake Nilame of the Devinuwara Devale, demanding that they lift a ban on a particular kavadi dance segment during the annual perahera. The Nilame refused, leading the police to scrap the dance segment under pressure from the underworld.\n\nThis instance of intimidation only underscored the pervasive threat posed by these criminal networks. Previous governments had their favorites in the underworld, shielding them from justice. For example, during the J.R. Jayewardene administration, criminals like Gonawala Sunil and Kalu Lucky were used to further the government's interests. Similarly, the Ranasinghe Premadasa and Chandrika Kumaratunga administrations had underworld connections, with figures like Soththi Upali and Beddegana Sanjeewa being protected.\n\nThe current government is under scrutiny for its failure to arrest notorious underworld figures like Kanjipani Imran, who remains at large despite international efforts to bring him to justice. The arrest of Makandure Madush, known as Sri Lanka’s Napoleon of Crime, in Dubai in 2019 suggests that authorities are capable of acting against underworld figures. However, the frequency of violent incidents, driven by turf wars among drug dealers, poses a serious threat to public security. Consequently, there is a pressing need for stringent action to neutralize the underworld and protect both law-abiding citizens and informants from violence.",
  "summary": "Saturday 12th September, 2026 Killings are reported with monotonous regularity in this country. Two children were killed in a grenade attack on a house in Dehiwala in the early hours yesterday. Their father, who sustained serious injury in the attack, is receiving treatment in hospital. The attackers came, lobbed the grenade and fled in a […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Underworld gang attacks claimed two children in Dehiwala.",
    "Police attribute incidents to gang rivalries, but underworld strikes anywhere.",
    "Kanjipani Imran threatened religious procession, leading police to cancel dance segment."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}