‘History’ thieves top 500

Suraj A. Bandara

Over 516 incidents of archaeological thefts have been reported from 2008 to this year while the Archaeological Department has earned over Rs. 530,000 from fines imposed on offenders. A special unit was set up by the Archaeological Department together with the Police Department to safeguard heritage sites and prevent vandalizing archaeological sites.

The police unit was established in 2008 at the archaeological premises to net archaeological thieves. Under the Archaeological Act, police can prosecute any individual responsible for the destruction of archaeological assets.

Over 335 cases are being investigated while 181 cases have concluded, he said. The Department will increase fines and conduct constant raids to arrest culprits, he said.