Sri Lanka, Aug. 9 -- The Walana Anti-Corruption Unit has seized machinery worth millions of rupees from a local company that was allegedly illegally mining ilmenite in a highly sensitive, archaeologically significant area belonging to the Puttalam Cement Factory.

The land, which spans four thousand acres, contains geological evidence and rock deposits with fossils from the Miocene era, dating back 23 million years.

According to reports, the company was operating without a legal license and did not have the necessary qualifications.

It is reported that the approval for the project was granted under the direct influence of the former State Minister in charge of the subject, Chamara Sampath Dassanayake.

A letter dated January 4, 2024, fr...