Police outrun treasure hunters

Hunting for priceless treasure from temples and abandoned archaeological sites continues despite several suspects being arrested by the police. Organised gangs have joined the bandwagon of treasure hunters as it has become a lucrative business.

Investigations have revealed that treasure hunting was mostly financed by wealthy and influential people involved in other rackets in their areas.

The latest treasure hunting was reported from the historic Niyangamyaya Temple in Anuradhapura where burglars broke into the temple museum and got away with priceless artefacts and other ornaments a few days ago, Police Media Spokesman SSP Prishantha Jayakody said.

According to historians, the stolen artefacts and treasure dates back to the Gampola era.

However, the temple authorities had not taken any precautionary measures to safeguard the treasure.

Prior to the burglary several artefacts and ornaments had been pilfered from time to time as there was no proper mechanism in place to safeguard them.

The pilfered items include a gold plaque that disappeared from the museum sometime ago, villagers said.

According to police, the thieves had entered the museum by forcing open the main padlock on the door.

A special police team along with officials from the provincial archaeological department are investigating the theft. The chief incumbent of the temple Ven. Danture Dammananda Thera told the police that he could not name the items stolen from the museum.

He said the inventory that contained the list of items at the museum was with the Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs at the Archaeological Department.

The stolen items recovered were a pistol belonging to the Dutch period and a bangle with special stones and two arecanut cutters (Giraya) that belonged to the Sinhalese kingdom.

The sniffer dog had led the police investigators along the Nawalapitiya main road to a nearby boutique after it picked up the scent. The museum is in a dilapidated condition with broken windows.

Haputale

Another treasure hunting case was reported from Maligatenne-Eltota in the Haputale area on January 14 when police officers acting on a tip off arrested five suspects engaged in excavating earth in search of treasure at a sanctuary in Haputale.

The five suspects were produced before the Bandarawela Magistrate's Court on January 15 and were remanded till January 24.

The anti-terrorist unit of the Kandy police on a tip off searched a house at Kadugannawa and found a rare gold plated marble Buddha statue.

The 11-foot tall statue is believed to have been offered for sale for Rs. 1 million to a businessman in Kandy. Police arrested three suspects in a lonely house where the statue had been kept secretly.

They were negotiating with a businessman for the sale of the statue. The suspects were taken into custody following the discovery of the statue.

The three suspects from Kadugannawa were produced before the Kandy Magistrate's Court and remanded.

Police have set up a special unit along with the Archaeological Department to combat plundering of treasure from temples and archaeological sites.

The special unit is manned by a Superintendent of Police (SP) who has been vested with powers to carry out raids on illegal excavation of treasures in any part of the country. IGP N.K. Illangakoon has also appointed a senior Deputy Inspector General of Police to oversee the operation.

Last month, a treasure hunting case was reported from Mottayagala-Urawatti in Ampara when suspects were found bulldozing an old run-down Buddhist Dagoba.

The Ampara special archaeological unit arrested seven suspects involved in the excavation. They were residents of Kaluwanchikudi and from Wananyagapura.

Hasalaka

Another treasure hunting case was reported to Hasalaka police station last year. A 14 kg silver Buddha statue that dates back to the 13th century had been stolen. Following the arrest of a suspect from Meegahakivula, Galagedara police recovered the priceless Buddha statue.

Last year Bakamuna police acting on a tip off arrested five suspects engaged in excavating treasure from a plot of land at Radavi-Oya. The suspects had in their possession, a water pump, crow bars and other implements used for digging up the land.

The suspects were produced before the Hingurakgoda Magistrate's Court.

Last year the Special Investigation Unit of the Gampaha police arrested treasure hunters in Katupotha area.

The gang had attempted to steal a rare gold Buddha statue from the Kahatavilagedera vihara. Two more suspects involved in the attempted theft were later arrested by the Katupotha police from a lodge at Ja-ela.

The van used by the suspects was also seized by the police. Treasure hunters also vandalised the Siva temple at Polonnaruwa and dug a three-foot hole where the Sivalingam was buried. The Siva Temple had been vandalised by treasure hunters on many occasions, police said.

Foreigner

Last year the Rattota police arrested six suspects including a foreigner engaged in treasure hunting at Kandenuwara. The van in which they travelled was also seized by the police.

A police party from Thalawa police station arrested a man in robes and two others who were engaged in treasure hunting at Batuwatte in the Jayagaha Ella area. Police seized a priceless Buddha statue 12 inches in length that weighed over three kilograms in the possession of the suspects.

According to Police Media Spokesman SSP Prishantha Jayakody, police conducted 498 raids on treasure hunting last year and arrested 220 suspects involved in similar cases. The revenue earned by the State from fines imposed by the courts was Rs. 261,370,010.

In 2010, the police arrested 260 suspects following 294 raids conducted on treasure hunting and the revenue earned from fines was Rs. 12,942,000.

In 2012 police conducted 364 raids and arrested 110 treasure hunters from January to March and the revenue from fines amounted to Rs. 950,000.