Smoke Trail Ends at BIA: Rs. 4.45 Mn Worth of Foreign Cigarettes Seized

COLOMBO (News 1st); A 29-year-old Sri Lankan male passenger was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake for attempting to smuggle a large consignment of foreign-manufactured cigarettes into the country.

According to Customs officials, the suspect, a resident of Kurunegala, had brought the contraband from Dubai via Bahrain in an attempt to divert attention from his true point of origin.

The smuggling attempt was thwarted during a routine inspection by airport Customs officers.

The seized consignment included 127 cartons containing a total of 25,400 cigarettes, with an estimated street value of Rs. 4.45 million.

The suspect had allegedly planned the route to avoid detection, purchasing the cigarettes in Dubai and entering Sri Lanka on a connecting flight from Bahrain.