Cannabis cultivated in the heart of Wilpattu National Park

By Hiran Priyankara 

An area of about ten acres in the heart of the Wilpattu National Park, about 30 km away from the Hunuvilagama entrance, has been cleared to cultivate ganga or cannabis. 

Wildlife officials said they arrested one of the suspects during the raid. They said the suspects had been carrying on the racket for a long time and that the forest of hundreds of years-old huge trees cleared. 

Investigations revealed that an organised group had camped in the forest and carried out the cultivation, and even poached wild animals for food. 

Officials said the kingpin behind the racket had fled from the scene during the raid and that they initiated investigations to arrest him on information from the suspect in custody. 

Wildlife officers of the National Park and those from Kalawewa wildlife office had carried out the raid on information received from Park Warden R.A.D.D.D.Samaranayaka.