10 February 2024 12:00 am Views - 202
A large-scale racket of uprooting trees in Sigiriya forest reserve and selling them to a hotel project was foiled by the wildlife conservators yesterday.
During the raid, they arrested two suspects and seized a large stock of Bolpana trees, a plant species endemic to the area and endangered with extinction, transported to Gedigaswalana area to be planted in the hotel ground.
Officials said the suspects had dug up the earth around the tree and uprooted it without causing damage to the root system, and transported them for replanting.
Under interrogation, the suspects revealed that they received Rs.1,500 per tree from the owners of the hotel which was being built on a private land in Gedigaswalana area off Sigiriya.
The suspects were to be produced before Dambulla Magistrate.
A team of wildlife conservators including Range Wildlife Conservators S.S.Malinda, D.M.Nilantha and A.D.B.Dhanushka had carried out the raid.