• It had been shot dead with a locally made gun

By Romesh Madusanka   

A tusker in Kalamurippu forest reserve in the Mulliyavalai Police area had been shot dead and the tusks cut off by poachers.    

Mulliyavalai Police and the Mulaithivu wildlife conservators recovered the carcass and conducted investigations to find that it had been shot dead with a locally made gun. They arrested two men suspected to have shot the tusker and recovered the two tusks which the suspects had in their possession.   

Police said the suspects under interrogation stated that they were preparing to sell the two tusks. During investigations, Police seized the locally made gun, a hacksaw, and an axe used by the suspects to kill the tusker and to cut off the tusks.   Wildlife Conservators said the two tusks, each about 4ft long, matched with the roots of tusks removed from the carcass during investigations. Police were taking steps to produce the suspects before Mulaithivu Magistrate.