Wildlife officers have arrested a former Civil Defence officer suspected of cutting off the tusk of an elephant found dead without its tusk in the Kumbukwewa area in Kahatagasdigiliya.
The 34-year-old suspect was arrested by officers from the Kahatagasdigiliya Wildlife Range Office, following investigations into the elephant's death.
During searches of the suspect's residence and cultivation hut, wildlife officers recovered several items, including an elephant deterrent explosive, an explosive device allegedly made using petrol, a homemade firearm, a bag containing gunpowder and related accessories, a curved knife, a metal-cutting hacksaw and several pieces of timber suspected to have been cut from the area where the elephant was found dead.
Wildlife officers suspect that the recovered hacksaw may have been used to cut off the elephant's tusk.
The suspect was produced before the Kahatagasdigiliya Magistrate's Court today (05), where the court ordered that he be remanded until November 18.
Further investigations into the incident are being conducted by wildlife authorities.
