Police to establish ‘Illegal Assets & Intellectual Property Investigation Unit’

by Zulfick Farzan 20-07-2020 | 3:49 PM

Colombo (News 1st); Sri Lanka Police is to establish an ‘Illegal Assets and Intellectual Property Investigation Unit’ at the Central Point, Chatham Street in Colombo 1, to investigate into the illegally acquired assets by criminals, soon.

The Ministry of Defence on its website said new investigation unit would be operated under the purview of a Senior Superintendent of Police/ Superintendent of Police with separate subject divisions within the unit, the Police said.

Duties of this Unit have been scheduled to proceed under 07 Sub Units as stated below:

Sub Unit 01

Investigations into crimes committed using illegitimate mobile phones by remanded suspects and prisoners.

Sub Unit 02

Probes into bank accounts of organized criminals, cancellation of accounts, and confiscation.

Investigations into the bank accounts of drug peddlers and smugglers nabbed by the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB), Divisional Police Headquarters, and confiscation of such illegal earnings under the Money Laundering Act.

Sub Unit 03

Preparation of legal provisions, procedures, and instructions to confiscate current and fixed assets acquired through money laundering by banned organizations under the Prevention of Terrorism Act or by violating Dangerous Drugs Ordinance.

Preparation of legal provisions, procedures, and instructions for such investigations carried out under the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), PNB, Fraud Investigation Bureau and Terrorist Investigation Division (TID).

Sub Unit 04

Assisting in probes conducted by Police and other investigative divisions conducted into the forceful acquisition of money by criminals through m-cash, easy-cash, etc. and probes into such telephone networks of convicts.

Sub Unit 05

Assisting in probes conducted by Police into arrests over illegal migrations by violating Immigration and Emigration Law, by-means-of forged passports/documents at Ports and Airports.

Sub Unit 06

Assisting in probes conducted by Police into offences related to Automated Teller Machine, Credit and Debit Card frauds.

Provide technical support for probes conducted into issues related to computer data hacking.

Sub Unit 07

Assisting in investigations related to Intellectual Property Law violations.