Rs. 115 Mn worth of cigarettes seized at BIA; two arrested

Two passengers attempting to smuggle foreign-made cigarettes worth Rs. 115 million were arrested by customs officials at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in the early hours of April 23. The suspects—a 25-year-old from Peradeniya and a 46-year-old businessman from Colombo—arrived on SriLankan Airlines flight UL-226 from Dubai at 5:00 AM.

Attempting to exit through the airport’s “Green Channel,” they were intercepted and found with 385 concealed cartons containing 77,000 “Platinum” and “Manchester” brand cigarettes. The duo is currently in custody, and customs officials have launched further investigations into the smuggling attempt. by Prabath Witana.