Commissioner of Police Ahmed Mohamed has attended the official ceremony commemorating the 160th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Police as part of an official visit aimed at strengthening professional cooperation between the police services of the two countries.
The anniversary ceremony was held on September 3, 2026, at the Police Field Force Headquarters in Colombo, with Commissioner Ahmed Mohamed participating alongside Sri Lankan police officials and other attendees.
His visit also included participation in the National Police Academy International Research Conference 2026 (NPAIRC 2026), held on September 1.
The international conference provided a platform for law enforcement professionals and researchers to engage on policing-related research, emerging challenges and approaches to strengthening modern police services.
Maldives Police Service said the Commissioner’s participation in the two events further strengthens professional engagement and cooperation with the Sri Lanka Police.
The visit comes as both police institutions mark significant milestones in their respective histories.
Sri Lanka Police traces its formal establishment to September 3, 1866, giving the institution a history spanning 160 years in 2026. Over that period, policing in Sri Lanka has undergone significant changes alongside the country’s political, social and institutional development.
Maldives Police Service, meanwhile, marked 22 years as a separate civilian institution on September 1, the same day Commissioner Ahmed Mohamed participated in the international research conference in Sri Lanka.
Formal policing in the Maldives dates back to 1933. Police functions were later carried out within the country’s national security structure before Maldives Police Service was established as a separate civilian institution on September 1, 2004.
Since then, the service has expanded its presence considerably. While police services were once concentrated largely in Malé and a limited number of atolls, Maldives Police Service had established a presence across all inhabited islands by the end of 2025.
Cooperation with overseas law enforcement institutions remains important for the Maldives, particularly in areas such as professional training, investigative capacity, transnational crime, narcotics enforcement, cybercrime and the exchange of policing expertise.
Geographical proximity and longstanding relations between the Maldives and Sri Lanka have also supported cooperation across law enforcement and other government sectors.
Maldives Police Service said Commissioner Ahmed Mohamed’s latest visit provides another opportunity to deepen those institutional links, with his participation in both the research conference and Sri Lanka Police anniversary celebrations contributing to continued professional engagement between the two services.
