Police launch probe into ‘fake news’ and doctored images of Public Security Minister

An investigation has been launched regarding the circulation of ‘fake news’ and doctored photographs on social media, which appear to falsely represent Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Ananda Wijepala, the Police Headquarters stated.

The incident follows a major joint operation conducted recently by Sri Lanka Police and the Indonesian Police, during which several members of organized crime gangs—who had been hiding overseas while continuing drug trafficking and criminal activities in Sri Lanka—were arrested in Indonesia.

These suspects were brought to Sri Lanka on August 30 and a team of Indonesian police officers who actively contributed to the operation also arrived in the country.

To felicitated the Indonesian officials on behalf of the government and to recognize the efforts of the Sri Lankan officers who were involved in the operation, Minister Ananda Wijepala and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya visited the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake.

Following the event, Police said it noticed doctored images attributed to Minister Ananda Wijepala and fabricated news posts were circulated on social media platforms. These posts appear to be intended to insult and discredit the Minister, police added.

In response, on August 31, the Private Secretary of the Minister filed an official complaint with IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya, requesting legal action against those responsible for publishing and distributing these inaccurate and defamatory materials.

Acting on this complaint, the Inspector General of Police has instructed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to initiate an investigation into the fake news and doctored images being spread via social media and to take legal action against the individuals involved.