Customs nabs passenger smuggling illegal cigarettes

Sri Lanka Customs officials arrested a Sri Lankan passenger at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake yesterday for attempting to illegally bring a stock of cigarettes into the country from Dubai.

A Customs spokesman said the suspect is a 24-year-old businessmen from Kuliyapitiya. He had brought a stock of 30,000 sticks of foreign cigarettes packed in 150 cartons and hidden inside his travelling bag.

According to the customs officials, the seized cigarettes are estimated be worth Rs. 1.65 million.

Customs have confiscated the stock of foreign cigarettes and imposed a Rs. 100,000 fine on the suspect. Customs officials attached to the BIA are conducting further investigations into the incident. (Colombopage)