During the final stages of the Sri Lankan civil war in 2009, the military recovered a large stock of gold and silver jewelry from LTTE-run banks. The military collected jewelry from civilians as well, it is alleged.
The LTTE had reportedly used these valuables in various ways, including running a banking system where civilians could receive loans by offering gold jewelry as collateral. Some civilians had also voluntarily given their jewelry to LTTE combatants, possibly to support their operations.
Following the war, the Sri Lankan Army handed over part of the recovered gold and silver to the government in 2010. Still, there are no records of how much gold and silver were handed over and what happened to them.
Last week, more of those valuables were transferred to the police for legal processing, with plans to return them to the rightful civilian owners.
It is reported that the National Gem and Jewellery Authority is conducting assessments to verify the gold’s authenticity before it is handed over to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka for safekeeping.
Civilians who wish to reclaim their possessions must provide proof of identity and ownership, which is almost impossible after 15 years, and their belongings, including receipts, were destroyed during the last phase of the war..
The Attorney General’s Department has instructed that the matter be reported to the court, and legal steps will follow based on judicial decisions. Individuals who can present adequate documentation proving ownership will have the opportunity to reclaim their belongings, subject to legal clearance.