A man has been arrested in the indigenous village of Mahiyanganaya with a cache of elephant pearls valued at over Rs. 30 million, officials confirmed.
The suspect was taken into custody on Friday (17) during a joint operation conducted by wildlife officers from Wilpattu, Ritigala, and Mahiyanganaya, acting on intelligence provided by security forces.
According to authorities, the arrest followed months of investigation and resulted in the largest-ever seizure of elephant pearls in Sri Lanka.
During the raid, officers also recovered 30 elephant pearls, a leopard’s skin, a section of an elephant tusk, leopard oil, animal traps, and locally made firearms. Additionally, parts of the karuwala and dambha plants—both species protected under Sri Lanka’s wildlife and flora laws—were also found at the scene.
