Government will soon bring legislations to make the possession of illegal firearms and explosives a non-bailable offence. The new move is aimed at disarming of persons carrying illegal arms and amendment to the current Fire Arms Ordinance which presently allows bail by a Court.
The new legislation would prevent bail application for those who are apprehended whilst in possession of fire arms or explosives, similar to those who violate Immigration and Emigration Act. The special provision is intended to be in operation for a limited period, until the objective of ensuring the surrender of weapons is achieved.
Soon after the liberation of the east from the clutches of the LTTE terrorists the government gave a deadline to surrender illegal weapons and it was a success.
The Government also observes that with the return to normalcy following a long –drawn conflict, criminal activities such as robberies, killings and extortions are likely to recur The Police have been given strict instructions to deal with by utilizing the criminal law.