Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala says investigations have conclusively established that claims circulated on social media alleging the existence of an LTTE training camp and bomb-manufacturing facility within the Palai Reserve were completely false and intended to mislead the public.
Addressing the issue, the Minister said the allegations relate to a property located in the Kanagarayankulam area, where approximately 10 acres of land had been cleared and developed by an individual identified as Thiyagarasa. According to the findings, the site contains fencing, a multi-storey building measuring roughly 32 feet by 32 feet and a garment manufacturing operation equipped with 20 industrial sewing machines operating on the first and second floors.
The Minister said aloe vera and vegetable cultivation are being carried out on the land, while local residents are employed at the facility. The enterprise, known as “Nature Farming,” has been registered as a business operation.
Investigations revealed that the land under cultivation had subsequently expanded from 10 acres to approximately 21 acres. It was this farm that later became the subject of widespread allegations on social media claiming that an LTTE training camp and bomb factory were functioning at the location while the Government remained silent.
According to Wijepala, those allegations were used to portray the individual who publicised the claims as someone who had uncovered a major national security threat, while simultaneously attempting to mislead society and sow divisions among communities.
However, the investigation also uncovered separate legal issues relating to the property itself. The Minister said authorities found that the farm had been established on forest reserve land and that the Department of Forest Conservation had already initiated legal proceedings against Thiyagarasa and four others connected to the operation.
He stated that the suspects had initially been released on bail of Rs. 500,000 and that a court had subsequently issued an order preventing them from entering the disputed land. According to the Minister, the suspects later filed a motion before court and succeeded in having the restriction lifted. The next hearing in that case is scheduled for August 25.
Wijepala noted that the Government and forest authorities maintain that the land is State property situated within a protected forest area, while the owner claims that it belongs to a relative.
The Minister also outlined a series of additional legal actions relating to the site. On March 13, 2026, forest officers reportedly discovered stocks of timber, including kaluwara, palu, weera, milla and burutha wood, allegedly being stored without permits or official markings. Legal action was subsequently initiated.
A further case was filed after officers allegedly found additional adjoining forest areas being cleared, while another legal action was instituted after authorities reported that an additional 11 acres beyond the original 10-acre site had also been cleared.
According to Wijepala, one court ordered the cancellation of bail previously granted to the suspect and remanded him for 14 days. The suspect has since filed an appeal, claiming the land is private property.
The Minister further stated that Special Task Force officers who visited the site following intelligence reports were allegedly obstructed by the landowners, resulting in another case being filed for obstructing public officials in the discharge of their duties.
Wijepala said that despite the existence of seven separate legal actions relating to the property, an individual later circulated a video suggesting that the site contained an LTTE training camp and bomb-manufacturing facility.
According to the Minister, the claims were made during a media briefing held in Colombo by Sangeeth Jayasekara, who identified himself as the Executive Director of the Intercontinental Human Rights Commission.
Following the allegations, the Terrorism Investigation Division launched an investigation and conducted extensive field inquiries in the area. Those investigations, Wijepala said, found no evidence whatsoever of an LTTE training camp or bomb factory.
“The investigation clearly established that this is not an LTTE training base or a bomb manufacturing facility. What exists there is a farm operation,” the Minister said.
He added that authorities believe the false claims were deliberately spread through social media in an attempt to mislead the public and create unnecessary social tension.