The lodge they were staying at was searched on a warrant issued by the Ratnapura Acting Magistrate Priyanka Gunawarnasuriya.

The five Slovaks who tried to smuggle the plants and insects are currently in remand custody. The wildlife officers said that when they had tried to search their lodge, the officers had found that some of the specimens had been burnt.

Investigations are underway to determine if the tourists or the lodge owners had burnt the insect specimens.