A suspect has been arrested in the vicinity of the Erukkulam Coast in Mannar with 6500 aloe vera plants yesterday (Apr 17).
The arrest was carried out by Special Task Force (STF) personnel along with team of naval officers attached to the North Central Naval Command this morning. The suspect was arrested along with a lorry containing 15 sacks of aloe vera plants.
However, he had denied possession of the plants by claiming that he was keeping watch of the van for another person and therefore was not aware of the contents inside the vehicle.
It is suspected that the plants had been plucked from a forest reserve and were intended to be smuggled out of the country. Police have identified the suspect as a 49-year old resident of Kalpitiya.
The suspect along with the lorry and the sacks of aloe vera plants have been handed over to the Forest Office in Madhu for further investigations.
(Reporting by Damith Wickramasekara, Pics by Sri Lanka Navy)
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