Suspect arrested at BIA with foreign cigarettes worth Rs. 38.67 mln

A suspect has been arrested by Sri Lanka Customs officials at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for attempting to smuggle a consignment of foreign-made cigarettes and electronic cigarettes valued at Rs. 38.67 million into the country.

Another group who had arrived with the suspect fled the scene upon his arrest, abandoning their luggage, reporter said.

The arrested individual has been identified as a 27-year-old businessman from Colombo.

The group had arrived at BIA on an Emirates flight from Dubai this morning (25), Ada Derana reporter said.

During inspection, officers found a total of 1,149 cigarette cartons containing 229,800 foreign-made cigarette sticks and 113 electronic cigarettes in 16 pieces of luggage.

Sri Lanka Customs officers at BIA are conducting further investigations into the incident.