Kudos to the judiciary

A  three-judge bench of the High Court today sentenced Niraj Roshan, alias ‘Ali Roshan’ to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 20.6 million after finding him guilty of unlawfully keeping five elephants without valid permits. We as citizens applaud the judiciary for delivering this judgment as it sets out a clear example on those who attempt to illegally smuggle protected animals from the country. 

The accused was convicted on charges of fraudulently altering the elephant registry maintained by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and illegally keeping five elephants in his possession. What is quite disturbing is the fact that poachers and illegal smugglers such as this individual have been given an authority to capture animals from the wild despite there being laws to protect many species including elephants. In response to the growing number of wildlife crimes, law enforcement authorities are now being strengthened to apprehend perpetrators without any political intervention. 

Previously, many of these smugglers were operating allegedly with political patronage which allowed them to operate without any disturbances. This way,  they are robbing the country of its gene pool while making thumping amounts of money. 

Illegal wildlife trade is considered the fourth largest crime in the  world as these notorious criminals operate in sophisticated patterns. Recently one woman was nabbed with several exotic snakes indicating how Sri Lanka has become a transit hub for the illegal wildlife trade. But with the support of the judiciary and law enforcement authorities, Sri Lanka would be able to preserve her precious natural resources. 

Srinath Perera

Kelaniya