STF detains six treasure hunters

Special Task Force (STF) officers have arrested six persons who were searching for antiquities using a metal scanner in the Ichchalanpattu area.

The raid was carried out by the Kantale STF following a tip off that a group of people were using a scanner to dig in the Poonagar area in the Ichchalampattu Police Division on Sunday night.

The suspects are aged between 40 and 55 and are residents of Pannipitiya, Nuriya and Malabe.

Also, a large number of digging tools including axes, crowbars, shovels, hoes and other items were seized. It has been found that the scanner is an illegal device that cannot be operated in Sri Lanka.