Tendu leaves recoveries galore in past few days

The Navy recovered over 552kg (wet weight) of smuggled Tendu leaves on the Uchchamunai beach in Kalpitiya, north of Mannar, in the beach areas of Urimunai and Velliyal belonging to the Delft Island and in the Kondachchikuda beach of Silawathura on Sunday and Tuesday.

The SLNS Vijaya in the Northwestern Naval Command recovered the tendu leaves in two sacks that had washed ashore at Uchchamunai beach on Sunday.

In another search operation in the sea area off Mannar on Tuesday, SLNS Thammanna in the North Central Naval Command found a parcel of Tendu leaves, weighing about 40kg (wet weight), adrift in waters.

SLNS Wasaba in the Northern Naval Command found 12 parcels washed ashore at Urimunai and Velliyal beaches of the Delft Island.

The consignment of Tendu leaves stuffed in those parcels weighed about 436kg and 700g (wet weight). In addition, SLNS Therapuththa in the Northwestern Naval Command retrieved a parcel of Tendu leaves, weighing about 31kg and 200g (wet weight), adrift in Kondachchikuda beach area. Thus, these operations led to the apprehension of about 552kg and 700g (wet weight) of smuggled Tendu leaves in total.

The consignment of Tendu leaves held in these separate operations has been kept in the safe custody of the Navy, until it is handed over to authorities for onward legal action.