The Police Department had decided to increase the cash rewards given to police officers who successfully carry out operations and to informants who provide information about illegal firearms, Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) C. D. Wickramaratne said.

He revealed that police had conducted special operations to arrest suspects with illegal firearms and with hand grenades. But in the recent past, the circulation of illegal firearms and hand grenades in the country showed an increase.

Therefore, the Acting IGP had decided to broaden the operations of enforcing the law in the country to create a peaceful environment for people to live without any fear.

Accordingly, the increased cash rewards as follows: Police officers and informants who arrested a suspect with a T-56 weapon will be awarded Rs.250,000. Rs.200,000 will be awarded to police officers for taking only a T-56 weapon without the suspect and Rs.250,000 will be paid for informants.

A Rs.50,000 award will be made to police officers and informants for arresting suspects with a 'repeater weapon'. A reward of Rs.25,000 will be made to police officers and informants for taking a 'repeater weapon' into police custody.

Rs.25,000 will be awarded to Police officers and Rs.15,000 cash award will be made to informants for arresting suspects with foreign-made weapons. A Rs.10,000 cash award will be made to police officers and informants for taking foreign-made weapons only into custody.

A Rs.150,000 cash reward and Rs.250,000 cash reward will be given to police officers and informants for arresting suspects with pistols, while Rs.100,000 and Rs.250,000 will be awarded to police officers and informants only for recovering pistols.

Cash rewards of Rs.150,000 and Rs.250,000 respectively will be made to police officers and informants for arresting suspects with revolvers, while Rs.100,000 and Rs.200,000 cash awards will be made police officers and informants for only recovering the weapon.

A cash award of Rs.50,000 will be made to police officers and informants respectively for arresting suspects with foreign-made Non-Automatic Rifles and a Rs.10,000 award will be made to police officers and informants only for the weapon.

An award of Rs.25,000 will be made to police officers and informants for arresting suspects with foreign-made hand grenades while Rs.15,000 will be awarded if only foreign-made hand grenades were recovered into police custody. By Chaturanga Samarawickrama