Navy foils smuggling racket of pet birds, 02 suspects apprehended in Mannar

During a search operation conducted in the beach vicinity of Nadukuda in Mannar on 30 Jun 25, the Sri Lanka Navy thwarted a smuggling racket involving 65 pet birds (pigeons) and apprehended 02 suspects and a dinghy employed for this illegal act.

After detecting a suspicious craft on radar, the Naval Detachment of Nadukuda under SLNS Gajaba in the North Central Naval Command launched a search operation in the beach vicinity. During the operation, naval personnel intercepted a suspicious dinghy carrying three cages of smuggled pet birds. The Navy also apprehended the 02 suspects along with the dinghy used in the smuggling attempt.

The suspects held in this operation were identified as residents of Pesalai, aged 28 and 43. The suspects together with pet birds and the dinghy were handed over to the office of Department of Wildlife Conservation in Talaimannar for onward legal action.