The Navy busted a smuggling racket involving 150 pet birds during a search operation carried out near the Kimbulbokka Lagoon, in Kalpitiya, last week. Two suspects and a dinghy used for the illegal activity were taken into custody.
The Naval Detachment of Uchchamunai, under SLNS Vijaya in the Northwestern Naval Command, launched the operation after detecting a suspicious dinghy in the lagoon. Upon inspection, naval personnel seized 150 pigeons and arrested the two suspects.
The suspects, aged 27 and 39, are residents of Kalpitiya. They, along with the seized birds and dinghy, were handed over to the Department of Forest Conservation, Karuwalagaswewa, for legal action.
by Norman Palihawadane