A 44-year-old Chinese passenger was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport while attempting to leave with a large consignment of contraband cigarettes valued at approximately Rs. 3.06 million.
Authorities at Bandaranaike International Airport apprehended a 44-year-old Chinese beautician from Zhejiang Province in the early morning hours on March 3rd while she was preparing to depart the airport. The arrest was conducted by officers from the Police Narcotics Bureau's Katunayake Airport Unit as part of routine passenger screening operations.
The suspect had purchased cigarettes in China before traveling to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and subsequently boarding Malaysia Airlines flight MH179 to Sri Lanka. During a thorough inspection of her luggage and backpack at the airport, officials discovered 102 cartons containing approximately 20,400 individual cigarette sticks of various Chinese brands that had been carefully concealed.
The total value of the confiscated cigarettes is estimated at over Rs. 3,060,000. According to the arresting officers, the cigarettes appear to have been smuggled into the country in violation of Sri Lanka's import regulations. The suspect and the seized stock of cigarettes were scheduled to be produced before the Negombo Magistrate's Court on the same day, with investigations continuing into the circumstances surrounding the attempted smuggling operation.
