Authorities are investigating the disappearance of a shipment of Tamil-language textbooks intended for Grade One students in the Eastern Province. Five suspects have been arrested as the textbooks passed through multiple locations before being recovered.

The Department of Education has established an investigative committee to examine circumstances surrounding the loss of a consignment of school textbooks, according to Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Madhura Seneviratne. The police have simultaneously launched their own inquiry into the matter.

The missing stock consisted of Tamil-language activity books and textbooks valued at over Rs. 800,000, intended for Grade One students in their third term. The Department of Education Publications had released the materials on May 24 for distribution to schools across the Eastern Province.

Police investigations have traced the textbooks' movement through several locations after the consignment was handed over for transport. According to law enforcement, the first suspect sold the stock to a buyer in the Alawwa area, who subsequently sold it to a centre in Narammala. The textbooks were then transported to Wattala before being recovered.

Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident and remanded in custody until May 25 pending further proceedings. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to establish full accountability for the missing educational materials and determine the circumstances that led to the diversion of the shipment from its intended destination.