Five Chinese nationals arrested at BIA with cigarettes and used phones worth Rs. 18 million

Five Chinese nationals have been arrested by Customs officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in the early hours today (17) for attempting to smuggle a consignment of foreign-manufactured cigarettes and used mobile phones valued at around Rs. 18 million into the country.

The suspects, who had arrived in Sri Lanka as tourists, were subjected to searches upon their arrival at BIA from Shanghai on a China Eastern Airlines flight, MU-6017, at 12.10 a.m. today.

Upon inspection, officials had discovered 497 cartons of Chinese-manufactured cigarettes, containing a total of 99,400 sticks, along with 422 secondhand Chinese-manufactured mobile phones concealed in their luggage.

The suspects have been detained by Customs officers at BIA, and further investigations into the incident are currently underway.