Ministry of Defence - Sri Lanka

Police to establish ‘Illegal Assets and Intellectual Property Investigation Unit’ soon

July 20, 2020

Sri Lanka Police are to establish an ‘Illegal Assets and Intellectual Property Investigation Unit’ at the Central Point, Chatham Street in Colombo 1, to investigate into the illegally acquired assets by criminals, soon.

The new investigation unit would be operated under the purview of a Senior Superintendent of Police/ Superintendent of Police with separate subject divisions within the unit, the Police said.

Duties of this Unit have been scheduled to proceed under 07 Sub Units as stated below:

 

Sub Units 01

  • Investigations into crimes committed using illegitimate mobile phones by remanded suspects and prisoners.

 

Sub Units 02

  • Probes into bank accounts of organized criminals,  cancellation of accounts and confiscation.  
  • Investigations into the bank accounts of drug peddlers and smugglers nabbed by the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB), Divisional Police Headquarters and confiscation of such illegal earnings under Money Laundering Act.

 

Sub Units 03

  • Preparation of legal provisions, procedures and instructions to confiscate current and fixed assets acquired through money laundering by banned organizations under Prevention of Terrorism Act or by violating Dangerous Drugs Ordinance.
  • Preparation of legal provisions, procedures and instructions for such investigations carried out under the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), PNB, Fraud Investigation Bureau  and Terrorist Investigation Division (TID).

 

Sub Units 04

  • Assisting in probes conducted by Police and other investigative divisions conducted into forceful acquisition of money by criminals through m-cash, easy-cash, etc. and probes into such telephone networks of convicts.

 

Sub Units 05

  • Assisting in probes conducted by Police into arrests over illegal migrations by violating Immigration and Emigration Law, by-means-of forged passports/documents at Ports and Airports.

 

Sub Units 06

  • Assisting in probes conducted by Police into offences related to Automated Teller Machine, Credit and Debit Card frauds.
  • Provide technical support for probes conducted into issues related computer data hacking.

 

Sub Units   07

  • Assisting in investigations related to Intellectual Property Law violations.