COLOMBO, Sept 22 – The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama on Monday that 6,000 out of 10,000 gold items believed to have belonged to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been handed over to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka after forensic examination.
The gold items were recovered during and after the humanitarian operation in the Northern and Eastern Provinces from LTTE camps, illegal banks, and abandoned buildings.
Previously, the National Gem and Jewellery Authority was tasked by the court to analyze the gold content and weight of all 10,000 items and submit a detailed report to both the court and the CID.
According to the CID’s additional progress report submitted on Monday, 6,000 items have now been transferred to the Central Bank, while investigations continue to determine whether the gold was voluntarily handed over to the LTTE by local residents or seized by the group through coercion.
The case remains under judicial scrutiny, with further reports expected as the inquiry progresses.