Vavuniya Magistrate Waseem Mohammed issued an order yesterday (14) to halt ongoing excavations aimed at locating buried gold and weapons. The decision followed a tip provided by a former member of the LTTE to the Vavuniya security forces, which ultimately turned out to be inaccurate.
Security forces in Vavuniya had initiated excavation work at three sites in the Poovarasankulam Aluthkovilkulam area, based on information that weapons and gold belonging to LTTE members had been hidden there. The tip suggested that these items were concealed during the conflict.
The information came from a former member of the LTTE, who claimed that these locations had served as camps for the militant group during the war. It was alleged that when the LTTE members vacated the camps and relocated, they buried their weapons and gold at these sites.
A report submitted by the Poovarasankulam Police to Vavuniya Magistrate Waseem Ahmed confirmed that a court order had been obtained to conduct the excavation work at these sites.
In response, the Magistrate, along with archaeology officials, government representatives, and members of the security forces, was present at the excavation sites. Despite employing two backhoes to dig to a depth of five feet at each location, no items were discovered.
As a result of the fruitless search, the Magistrate ordered the police to cease the excavations and instructed that the dug pits be closed. The operation was brought to a close, following the realization that the provided tip had been incorrect.
