Police crackdown on beggars in Colombo

• Genuine beggars to be handed over to the social services department
• Legal action is to be implemented against fake beggars

By Easwaran Rutnam

The Police have begun to crackdown on beggars, especially those seen standing near traffic lights in Colombo.  Police spokesman, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ajith Rohana said that an operation was launched over the weekend to detain beggars in Colombo.  

He said there have been some concerns raised by the public on beggars approaching their vehicles in an environment where there is a pandemic.  

The Police spokesman said that investigations had also revealed that not all beggars are genuine.  

He said that most beggars in Colombo are involved in a business.   DIG Ajith Rohana said that they are linked to a racket where money is collected and handed over to a man in charge.   As a result a special operation was launched to identify genuine beggars from the fake ones.  

The Police spokesman said that genuine beggars will be handed over to the social services department.   However, DIG Ajith Rohana said legal action will be taken against fake beggars.   

• He said that most beggars in Colombo are involved in a business