Are uniforms involved in the Wilpattu timber racket?

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.

- By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe

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.