Two retired army personnel have been arrested in Kandy town for the possession of an ancient gold-plated Buddha statue believed to be around 300 years old, police said.
The arrests followed a tip-off and were made while the suspects were allegedly transporting the statue within the city. The statue weighs more than 50 kilograms and had been brought to Kandy in an attempt to verify its gold content, according to investigators.
A senior officer said the artefact is suspected to have been stolen from a temple, although that has not yet been confirmed. Kandy HQI Chief Inspector Rasika Sampath Pathirana said steps were being taken to obtain an archaeological assessment to determine the historical and cultural significance of the statue, and to establish whether it qualifies as an antiquity under the relevant laws.
The probe is being conducted by CI Pathirana together with the Crimes Division OIC, Inspector Liyanarachchi, under the supervision of Kandy Senior Superintendent of Police Ravindra Dharmadasa.
If verified as a protected antiquity, the case would fall under the Antiquities Ordinance, which criminalises unauthorised possession, removal or sale of cultural property and provides for prosecution of those involved in trafficking artefacts from temples and archaeological sites.
The arrests come as Kandy Police are also investigating nine private bank employees over forged loan documents in a separate case, reflecting a recent spike in enforcement activity in the region.
