Two people have been arrested in separate raids in Matara over the alleged possession and attempted sale of ornaments made from protected animal parts, including elephant ivory, the Department of Wildlife Conservation has disclosed.
Both raids were carried out on September 21; the department made the arrests public on September 28, Newswire reported.
The two raids
In the first, officers of the Panahaduwa Wildlife Range Office arrested a suspect near the Matara main bus stand as he was allegedly preparing to sell a pendant made from elephant ivory. The arrest followed what the department described as a lengthy investigation into the illegal trade.
The suspect and the seized item were produced before the Matara Additional Magistrate’s Court, which imposed a fine of Rs. 70,000 over the ivory pendant.
In a separate operation the same day, wildlife officers raided a location in Thihagoda after receiving information that another individual was holding an ivory bracelet. Officers recovered an elephant ivory bracelet, an ivory pendant, a pendant containing a leopard tooth and an ivory amulet.
The second suspect was also produced before the Matara Additional Magistrate’s Court. That case is due to be taken up again on November 20.
The law
The possession, display, transportation and trade of protected animal parts are prohibited under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance. The Wildlife Department warned that action would be taken against those involved in such activities.
Both the Sri Lankan elephant and the Sri Lankan leopard are protected species, and the trade in ornaments worked from their parts sustains a quiet domestic market that surfaces mainly through this kind of point-of-sale interception rather than through seizures at scale.
The department has urged the public to report information on illegal wildlife activity through the 1992 Wildlife Emergency Hotline.
