Sri Lanka, June 12 -- Sri Lanka's criminal underworld is increasingly relying on locally manufactured firearms and imitation weapons as sustained police operations continue to reduce access to military-grade firearms.

DIG of the Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), Chandana Kodituwakku said law enforcement agencies have observed a growing shift towards homemade and counterfeit firearms due to the scarcity of genuine weapons in the hands of criminal groups.

The CCIB recently seized a locally manufactured firearm designed to resemble the Israeli-made Mini-Uzi submachine gun, a weapon typically used only by specialized security units, including Army Commandos, Special Forces, the Special Task Force and the Presidential Security Divi...