Three poachers who are residents of the Nikaweratiya area, carrying seven rare water-borne tortoises in cane baskets for slaughter, were arrested by the Nikaweratiya Police.
The suspects were arrested acting on a tip-off given by Wildlife Officers of Nikaweratiya.
The three suspects were produced before Nikaweratiya Magistrate Kanchana de silve, who fined them Rs. 90,000.
A Police chief in Kurunegala told the Daily News yesterday that about 134 poachers have been arrested during past six months in the Kurunegala District alone, for hunting rare wild animals within government forest reserves and all of them were produced before Courts for legal action.