A special police unit established to protect the country’s archaeological heritage has been reduced to a single officer, raising serious concerns about the government’s capacity to tackle the growing threat of heritage site destruction.
The unit, located within the premises of the Department of Archaeology in Colombo, initially had about 32 officers. However, it now operates with just one active officer who has no vehicle to respond to complaints or conduct field investigations.
A second officer, technically attached to the unit, is regularly reassigned for special duties, effectively leaving the operation severely restricted.Although the hotline to report archaeological destruction (011-2694727) is now back in service after months of inactivity,
complaints received via the number are merely redirected to local police stations. There is no system in place to monitor how those cases are followed up, and the effectiveness of subsequent investigations remains unclear.
A senior police officer speaking on condition of anonymity, said that when the Colombo-based unit was fully functional and able to conduct direct on-site investigations, it had achieved notable successes in preventing illegal excavations and damage to historical sites.
He warned that the current lack of staffing and resources severely undermined those efforts at a time when reported incidents of archaeological vandalism are on the rise.
Cultural and heritage conservationists have long called for better coordination between the Department of Archaeology and law enforcement agencies, demanding immediate action to strengthen the unit before irreversible damage is done to the island’s centuries-old heritage.
By Chaminda Silva 