Venezuelan tourist nabbed with Rs.10M worth Cocaine at BIA

A female Venezuelan tourist who attempted to smuggle in a stock of Cocaine worth over Rs.10 million, by swallowing in small sachets, was nabbed by the Customs Narcotics officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Saturday morning.

The 62-year-old woman who had come from Brazil on Emirates flight EK 650 via Dubai had arrived in Colombo at around 8.30 a.m., sources said.

Customs Spokesman Director Leslie Gamini said the Custom Narcotics officials at the BIA arrival lounge were suspicious over her bahaviour, and had subsequently taken her into custody for questioning.

Later, she had reportedly admitted that she swallowed a stock of Cocaine packed in tiny polythene sachets.

The suspect was produced before the Negombo Magistrate and then immediately admitted to Negombo Hospital where the contraband was to be retrieved under medication.

The Customs sleuths had managed to recover 64 such sachets of Cocaine from a total of 87 at the time this edition went to press last evening.

The preliminary investigations had revealed that she carried about 500 grammes of Cocaine in her body.

According to the Police Narcotics Bureau the street value of a gram of Cocaine in Colombo is estimated at Rs.20, 000.

Deputy Director Customs Narcotics Mihira Piyaratne and Superintendent K.H.P. Samarasinghe are conducting investigations. (Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana)