Northern Provincial Council Chairman C.V.K. Sivagnanam said that the police was unable to arrest members of various gangs operating in Jaffna and the people are constantly intimidated by this fact.

He said that there were a number of gangs including 'Aava' operating in the north. However, the police told him that they could not arrest these members since the people are not helping them, Sivagnanam said.

People are complaining to the police regularly but the police is unable to apprehend the gangsters, Sivagnanam said. He added that it is no surprise that the people are scared, when even the police are unable to do anything.

The 'Aava' sword gang came to the forefront after claiming responsibility for the attack on two policemen in Chunnakam, in retaliation to the death of two Jaffna University students.