DARSHANA SANJEEWA BALASURIYA 
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Minister Tiran Alles claims ’mafia’ operating behind passport queue
Colombo, Sep 10 (Daily Mirror) - Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles accused a 'mafia' of operating behind the recent long queues for passports at the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
In response to allegations by National People's Power (NPP) parliamentarian Vijitha Herath, the Minister said at a media briefing that the long queues reported recently were not due to a shortage of passports but due to certain individuals taking over the token system.
Earlier, the NPP, during a media conference, criticised the government for mishandling the passport-issuing crisis.
Minister Alles revealed that a group of individuals with over 100 SIM cards was booking the appointments and later selling the slots to the public at prices of around Rs. 45,000.
He said that as a result, this online system was suspended and a token system was introduced. However, this system was also taken over by the group, with tokens being sold to the public at Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 20,000.
To resolve the crisis, Minister Alles instructed the police to manage the queues, which has since improved the situation, with lines typically clearing by 10:30 to 11:30 AM.
Meanwhile, Minister Alles dismissed reports claiming that Immigration Department officials had travelled to a factory in Poland to inspect the passport production process.
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