Are uniforms involved in the Wilpattu timber racket?

Century old trees felled and sold as timber

How the illicit timber was concealed

By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe

Officers of the Eluwankulama Wildlife Office raided a large-scale timber smuggling operation that had been ongoing for some time in the buffer zone along the border of Wilpattu National Park, and seized a stockpile of timber worth nearly one million rupees from the site on May 1.

According to the wildlife officers who carried out the raid, the smuggling operation had been active for an extended period, and there are reports suggesting that senior officers of the Wanathavilluwa police and the security forces may have been involved.

During the raid, valuable timber including Weera, Palu, Burutha, and Halmilla was seized.

Wildlife officers confirmed that the timber had been obtained from trees felled from the Wilpattu National Park and nearby Cement Corporation forest lands.

The logs had reportedly been stored in the buffer zone, above the Gangewadiya Environmentally Sensitive Area, and cut using mechanical saws at the site.

Gangewadiya Navy Camp is located less than 50 metres from where the smuggling was taking place, raising questions about how such a large-scale operation went unnoticed by the camp’s personnel,  wildlife officers questioned.

They further revealed that the main suspect behind the operation is a resident of Gangewadiya village, and investigations are underway to apprehend him.

Wildlife officials suspect that the felled trees were massive trees over 100 years old and that many trees, including Weera, were cut down as whole trees and  supplied to hotels and other buyers for decorative purposes.

The illicit timber gathered by Civil defense personnel

Police involvement?

According to the officials, the OIC of the Wanathavilluwa police station called during the raid and reprimanded them for seizing the timber, claiming it was not a matter related to wildlife.

As a result, wildlife officials suspect that the Wanathavilluwa Police OIC may have direct ties to the timber smugglers involved in this illegal operation.

They further stated that steps will be taken to report the matter to the court.

The confiscated logs and whole trees have been transported to the Eluwankulam Wildlife Office.

The raid was carried under the instructions of Wilpattu National Park Warden Suranga Rathnayake, on the guidance of Eluwankulama Wildlife Office Range Officer Jayaweera, with the participation of Wildlife Ranger Assistant N. P. L. S. Marasinghe, S. D. M. Seram, Field Assistant A. M. Aslam, and a group of Civil Defense personnel.