Following attack on policemen and trackers:

Wildlife officials take refuge in jungle

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

A massive search operation is under way to arrest eight officers including the Sub Warden of the Wildlife Department of Hambegamuwa who are believed to be hiding in the State Forest Reserve at Galamuna after they abducted, assaulted and kept two police constables and two trackers in wrongful confinement in the thick jungle for almost a day until a search party from the Police Task Force and policemen from the Moneragala police division found the men in the jungle.

The incident took place when policemen from the Walana Vice Squad and the trackers were uprooting a ganja plantation in the Orukengala jungle.

The policemen and the trackers who were badly beaten by Wildlife officers were admitted to the Hambegamuwa Hospital police sources told the Sunday Observer.

The rescue operation got under way when Senior DIG Uva Province S.K. Shanker and DIG Uva Province M.R. Lathiff ordered the rescue operation on the instructions of IGP. N.K. Illangakoon on Thursday.

The police will move the Wellawaya Magistrate’s Court to issue a warrant for the arrest of the suspects who are evading arrest. The police search party also found abandoned mobile phones of Wildlife officials in the jungle.

A senior police officer told the Sunday Observer that the police will charge the suspects with abducting, assaulting and keeping the policemen and trackers in wrongful confinement and causing obstruction to policemen engaged in lawful duty.

A senior police officer said that the Wildlife Officers had been operating hand in glove with a wealthy ganja dealer in the area to help cultivate ganja in the forest reservation.