Six arrested in arugambay for poaching and bush meat trade

By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe 

Colombo , Feb 20 (Daily Mirror) -As part of an ongoing crackdown on poachers and the illegal bush meat trade, Special Task Force (STF) officers in Arugambay arrested six individuals suspected of killing wild animals. The arrests were made on Wednesday (18) when the suspects were attempting to transport the meat by boat.

Kumana Park Warden Buddhika Vidanage stated that two suspects were caught in possession of turtle eggs, while the others were found with venison and buffalo meat in a separate lagoon area. “We cannot confirm if these individuals were involved in the killing of a deer earlier this month. It appears to be part of an organized network engaged in the bush meat trade. Nevertheless, all measures are being taken to minimize such incidents,” he added.

All six suspects, along with the seized turtle eggs, meat, and the fiber boat allegedly used to transport the meat, have been handed over to the Lahugala Wildlife Office for further investigation.

Following earlier concerns after the February 7 incident, speculation had grown over the whereabouts of the leopard Ritta. Warden Vidanage confirmed that Ritta was spotted on the morning of February 15 and is reported to be healthy and alive.