Police to track down treasure hunters

by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

Police have thrown a dragnet to apprehend the suspects who escaped following a raid on a State forest reserve at Panaja-Oya, Thuduwila, Ulpathalawa last week, Police Media Spokesman Superintendent of Police, Prishantha Jayakody told the Sunday Observer .

On a tip-off, policemen from the Environmental Unit at Maha-Oya raided the elephant habitat of Thuduwila State forest reservation in search of treasure hunters, but found them missing. They found an abandoned backhoe, a trailer and tractor hidden in the jungle which were taken under the charge of the police. The treasure hunters had dug several places in search of treasure.

Meanwhile, police learnt from the villagers that the treasure hunters had operated on the pretext of building tube wells. Further investigations are being directed by DIG Ampara R.N. Weerasooriya and SP Premalal Ranagala.

ASP Priyankara Silva, CI Jayapathma and SP Premalal Ranagala with the machinery