By Kanchana Kumara   

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.