The Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police (SLCMP) together with the Police carried out a combined island wide raid on Friday (18th August) to arrest Army personnel who are Absent Without Leave (AWOL) or had deserted their posts from respective formations around the country.According to Military Spokesman, Brigadier Roshan Seneviratne, the one-day island-wide operation has brought in 777 deserters including one officer and 776 other rank personnel to custody.
Authorities are continuing their operations to arrest tri forces deserters and the special operation carried on Friday was intended to arrest Army deserters, he further stated. As of Saturday (19th August) authorities have arrested nine (09) tri forces officers and 5641 other rank personnel during raids conducted since the end of the General Amnesty on midnight 31st December 2016.
The Defence Ministry had announced two General Amnesty periods last year (2016) providing opportunities fortri forces deserters to seek legal discharge. During the last General Amnesty period which ended on midnight 31st December, 34 officers and 8843 other rank personnel had reported to their respective services seeking legal discharge.
