By Roy Denish.
A Kitulgala wildlife trafficking case has ended with a jewellery shop owner being fined Rs.2.1 million by the Ruwanwella Magistrate’s Court.
The court delivered the order after a legal process linked to the unlawful possession, storage, and sale of body parts taken from protected wildlife species. The businessman pleaded guilty to 38 separate charges filed against him under Sri Lanka’s wildlife protection laws.
The case began after intelligence pointed to an alleged illegal wildlife trade operation in the Kitulgala area. Officials received information that the jewellery shop had been used to buy, keep, and sell restricted animal parts.
As a result, officers from the North Western Province Wildlife Assistant Director’s Office and the Bulathkohupitiya Wildlife Zonal Office carried out a coordinated raid on the premises. During the search, officials found evidence linked to the illegal trade. They then arrested the shop owner and seized the contraband.
After the arrest and preliminary inquiry, the Department of Wildlife Conservation moved the case forward. It filed 38 counts of wildlife violations before the Ruwanwella Magistrate’s Court on June 24.
When the matter came up for final hearing, the magistrate considered the evidence and the suspect’s guilty plea. Instead of ordering immediate imprisonment, the court imposed the Rs.2.1 million fine through a structured payment plan.
The suspect must pay the full amount in three equal installments over the next three months. The court ordered him to make the first payment by August 5.
The remaining two installments must follow in the next two months. If the suspect fails to meet the payment schedule, he may face further legal consequences.
The ruling marks a significant outcome in the Kitulgala wildlife trafficking case and sends a warning against the commercial trade of protected wildlife parts.
