By Yohan Perera

Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara said the Police Environmental Protection Division had been empowered with the addition of personnel from the Special Task Force (STF), and emphasised that those indulging in forest destruction would be severely dealt with.  

Addressing a function in Colombo, he said the people could complain to the police about such damaging activities to the environment on the hotline 1997.The Minister vowed to deal with such persons damaging the environment with an iron hand. He said a mechanism had been worked out to deal with such elements,  
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the Minister to deal with it.  

“I will fulfil my duty as the Minister of Public Security,” he said.