By Newswire Editorial
Four Chinese nationals arrested for allegedly collecting more than 250 insects and reptiles from the Sinharaja Forest have been remanded until November 23 by the Kalawana Magistrate’s Court.
The suspects, three men and a woman, were arrested by Wildlife Department officials while collecting insects and reptiles endemic to Sri Lanka in the buffer zone of the Sinharaja Forest.
According to the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the arrests were made following information received by the Panahaduwa Range Protection Office of the Udawalawe National Park.
Wildlife officials seized more than 250 specimens belonging to nearly 40 animal species from the possession of the suspects.
The suspects were produced before the Kalawana Magistrate’s Court on Monday (09), along with the seized specimens, and were ordered to be remanded until November 23.
The Magistrate also ordered that the live and dead animal specimens be sent to the National Museum today (10) for identification and subsequently released into the environment.
Investigations have revealed that the suspects had previously visited Sri Lanka, while further inquiries are underway.
The Wildlife Department added that a few days ago, a group of foreign nationals involved in a similar incident of alleged genetic resource theft in the Babawa Uddarakanda forest reserve area was fined more than Rs. 10 million by a court. (Newswire)