Alexander Ivın, Head of the Consular Section of the Russian Embassy in Colombo, stated that Russian tourists are strongly advised not to collect or capture local plants and animals in Sri Lanka.
Ivın emphasized that such attempts risk damaging or destroying rare and endemic species.
The diplomat underlined that, in addition to the obvious harm to the environment, such behavior constitutes a serious criminal offense. He noted that investigations could last a long time, starting from a year and a half in practice.
According to Alexander Ivın, such an investigation results in significant fines amounting to tens of thousands of dollars or a long-term prison sentence.