Two suspects were arrested along with an unregistered tractor allegedly belonging to a police officer attached to Dehiwala Police while illegally reclaiming a swamp at the Manthrimulla area within the Bellanwila – Attidiya Bird Sanctuary.
The suspects, who are residents of Dehiwala and Badowita in Mount Lavinia, were arrested by the Attidiya Wildlife officials.
The suspects have revealed that this tractor belonged to a police officer of the Dehiwala Police and that they were deployed in this illegal activity by providing them with diesel on a daily basis.
The wildlife officials said that even though the tractor was driven on the roads in Dehiwala and Mt.Lavinia without a number plate and other documents, the police officers do not inspect it since they recognize the vehicle.
On a previous occasion, the wildlife officials have also complained to the Boralesgamuwa Police that when they attempted to arrest the tractor while it was reclaiming a plot of land in front of the Bellanwila Temple, the driver had sped up and fled the location by damaging the cab in which the wildlife officials arrived at the location.
The arrested suspects and the vehicle were produced to the court as they have violated the Article 7 of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.
The tractor was ordered to be kept in the custody of the court until the investigations are completed and two suspects were ordered to be kept in remand since no one had come forward to bail them out despite being given bail on two personal sureties of Rs.100,000 each.
