An in-depth investigation will be conducted into the killing of the tusker, Dala Pootuwa, to find out whether the incident was a part of an ongoing ivory racket, Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife, Gamini Jayawickrama Perera told the Sunday Observer.
“We want to find out where elephant pearls have come from, for how long this racket has been going on, the methods of operations and the parties involved. I also want to know whether any wildlife officers were involved in this racket,” the Minister said.
Minister Jayawickrama Perera said that action will be taken against the people involved, irrespective of who they are. “We will not interfere with the law,” he assured.
He said that Government analysts have to identify whether the two pendants and talisman, taken into custody during raids, is made of ivory or the bones of some other animal. Meanwhile, Environmentalist, Sujeewa Chandana said that a few more tuskers have disappeared from the Wayamba Wildlife Zone during the past few years.
“The tusker Walagamba, a large tusker known as the king of kings, went missing from Kalawewa zone about five years ago.
Three more tuskers have been missing for four years from Moragollagama area. We have to investigate as to what happened to these tuskers too,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), is currently conducting investigations into the killing of Dala Poottuwa and other tuskers.
Minister of Law and Order and Southern Development and Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka said that he has instructed the CID, to find whether the killing of Dala Poottuwa was the work of an organised criminal network involved in the illegal trading of elephant tusks.
Minister Ratnayaka said this suspicion has arisen due to several incidents that were reported in the recent past.