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Police look out for 6 more suspects in Sea Eagle killing
View(s):Habaraduwa Police are on the lookout for six more suspects believed to have skinned a Sea Eagle alive, Police said
Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Habraduwa Police, Sub Inspector (SI) K.K.O. Udayakumara said that two of the eight suspects were arrested and remanded till March 24, while further investigations were under way to arrest the others.
The suspects in custody are Petthadurage Chaminda Kumara and Kaluwahandirage Sisira. “We located the area where the incident took place and found the rest of the bird’s beak, along with the knife used and the cutting board,” he said. The incident took place on marshy land near an abandoned house situated 300 metres away from Pahalanabambala bridge in Akuressa.
He said a tipoff helped them after they made a public appeal for assistance to arrest the suspects. He further said the suspects claimed the bird had been electrocuted after it hit a power line, and they had skinned it to consume its 2 kg of meat. However, when they discovered the bird had swallowed a snake, they had thrown it away.
The police said, when they gave the beak to the Dept of Wildlife and Conservation, they were told it belonged to a Sea Eagle, a protected and endangered species.