Seventeen historic Buddhist temples and archeological sites in the Kurunegala District have been vandalised by treasure hunters during the past six months.
Kurunegala District Senior Divisional Secretary W.E. Jayathilake said that the treasure hunting in the Puttalam and Kurunegala Districts has gone up in the recent past.
Over 135 police personnel and 356 security guards have been deployed to protect the archeological sites in the North Western Province, he said.
Legal action has been taken against many of the offenders, he said.