Special Task Force (STF) has arrested six people suspected of killing wild animals inside Kumana National Park and transporting the meat by boat for illegal sale on Wednesday (18).
STF Officers in Arugam Bay carried out the arrests during a series of raids based on intelligence information, authorities said.
Two suspects were taken into custody at a beach area with 57 eggs believed to belong to marine turtles. In a separate operation later the same day, officers seized 17 kilograms of venison, 56 kilograms of buffalo meat, and 16 kilograms of venison and buffalo liver during a raid along another stretch of coastline.
Four additional suspects were arrested along with a fiber boat allegedly used to transport the meat by sea, a 25-horsepower outboard engine, and two fuel cans, police said.
All suspects, along with the seized meat, turtle eggs and boat, were handed over to the Lahugala Wildlife Office for further investigation. (NewsWire)
