(COLOMBO) – Two Italians were nabbed after they attempted to smuggle out of the country hundreds of endemic insects and plants collected from a national park in Southern Sri Lanka, wildlife officials said on Friday.
The pair was picked up from a location at the Yala National Park by officers from the Wild Life Conservation Office who had responded to a tip-off from locals.
Wildlife officers said they seized a large number of jars in which the suspects had collected around 285 insects including butterflies and plants that are endemic to Sri Lanka.
The two men were subsequently handed over to the local police for follow up action.
The island nation maintains strict regulations under the Flora and fauna Act and has a zero tolerance for such illegal activities.
