By Ranjith Rajapakse   

A SI attached to Maskeliya police and five others were arrested in the early hours of yesterday on suspicion of illicit gem mining in a canal flowing to the Castlereigh reservoir.  

Police said the suspects had caused extensive environmental damage to the canal. Two of the suspects were from Maskeliya and three others from Norwood. Police said they carried out the raid on a tip off from the public.  
The six suspects were to be produced before Hatton magistrate yesterday.