Police seize illegal timber stock after chase

A stock of teak logs valued at about Rs 500, 000 being transported by a lorry were taken into custody by police in Chilaw yesterday (22) after a chase. 

A team of officers from the Chilaw Police Anti-Corruption Unit had been on their way for a different operation when the driver of the lorry had allegedly panicked sped away when he saw their vehicle on the road. Police had then given chase and managed to cut-off the vehicle and force it to stop.

An inspection found 45 teak logs stacked inside the lorry and the driver had been unable to produce a valid permit allowing the lorry to transport the logs. He was then arrested.

Upon interrogation, the suspect had confssed that he had paid Rs75, 000 to an individual in Ariyagama to cut down the teak trees on the individual's land and was taking the logs to a timber mill in Kangikkuliya, Galwana Watta. 

Text and Pix by Augustine Fernando in Chilaw

 

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