INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock praised the steps taken by the Sri Lankan government, the Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka Police and intelligence services for swiftly taking action to apprehend those involved in the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

The INTERPOL Chief met President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at two separate meetings in Colombo today.

He presented President Sirisena with an INTERPOL Medal at the President’s Office in Colombo.

The President thanked INTERPOL Secretary General for immediately responding to the request made for assistance to investigate the April 21 explosions by terrorists. Stock said that his organization could send a team of experts to Colombo within two days of the attack and provide intelligence expert guidance and database information on terrorists. The INTERPOL maintains a database and intelligence services could access these data through INTERPOL Asia office in Singapore.

Stock said that Sri Lanka police and intelligence officials awere highly professional and the INTERPOL experts received their fullest cooperation.

President Sirisena thanked the INTERPOL for the assistance given to Sri Lanka for fighting criminals. He wanted further cooperation to detect drug smugglers and to extradite drug lords and the financial criminals hiding in foreign countries.