UL cabin crew supervisor nabbed with jewellery worth Rs.27 mn at BIA

19 October 2017 10:30 am - 26 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Customs officers today arrested a cabin crew service supervisor attached to SriLankan Airlines carrying more than five kilogrammes of gold jewellery at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in his person, Customs Spokesman Deputy Director Sunil Jayaratne said.

The 50-year-old suspect was arrested with five packets of gold jewellery wrapped around his waist and legs, he said.

“The jewellery was hidden inside two specially made girdles and a belt worn around his leg,” he said.

BIA Customs Director Parakrama Basnayake told the Daily Mirror that the suspect had served as a Cabin Crew Service Supervisor for about 29 years and a resident of Colombo.

He was arrested at the arrival terminal after a flight from Jeddah at 4.15 a.m.

“At the time of arrest three packets of gold jewellery were found packed around his waist wrapped with cellophane tapes and inside girdles especially made for the jewellery. The other two jewellery packets were found hidden in the knee guards,” Basnayaka said.

The suspect is a senior staffer and a frequent flyer. After the detection the officers had searched the other crew members as well.

He said initial investigations had revealed that the suspect had been in the practice of smuggling jewellery for a long time.

He said the Customs had received information regarding the racket and was on the lookout for him for a long time.

“The gold jewellery weighed 5.21 kilogrammes worth more than Rs. 27.32 million,” he said.

The detection was made by Assistant Customs Superintendents Nuwan Abeynayake, Rasika Samanjith, Srilal Wijewardena. Nishantha Jayasinghe, Hasantha Guruge, M.K.U Gamini,

Investigations were conducted under direction of Customs Directors Ruwan Sathkumara, and Parakrama Basnayake. (Chaturanga Pradeep and T.K.G Kapila)

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Comments - 26

BuffaloaCitizen Thursday, 19 October 2017 11:05 AM

Each

Smugler Hostess Thursday, 19 October 2017 07:07 PM

This is going from the inception of Air Lanka. This activity was carried out by male

ANTON Thursday, 19 October 2017 11:21 AM

CREW MEMBER GOT SCREWED.

Premalal Thursday, 19 October 2017 11:22 AM

The law will fall on this man like a ton of bricks and rightly so. However, there is a man who was caught with 165 million Rupees in his vault. He keeps dancing all his cares away while the law looks impotently on.

ANTON Thursday, 19 October 2017 11:23 AM

OK ...... GOOD JOB..... NOW WHO IS GOING TO CATCH CUSTOM OFFICERS.

ceylon Thursday, 19 October 2017 11:28 AM

smuglings happen due to un reasonable taxess.its not taxess but looting money from hard working business people.make taxess reasonable.make free trade to develop country. via DM Android App

Sofia Thursday, 19 October 2017 11:56 AM

But then how to run the county without taxes ? No roads, sanitary facilities etc.

Arnold Thursday, 19 October 2017 02:22 PM

The man said "unreasonable taxes" only from businessmen. Lawyers, Doctors, Tution teachers who make bleed the country hardly pay any taxes.

smartgent Thursday, 19 October 2017 12:03 PM

Some comments appear out of bounce. The main thing is that we should appreciate the custom officers for the catch. Besides, it should be investigated for whom this crew member was smuggling so much gold. I am sure he would have been offered a good sum. Interrogate him and arrest the Big Fish for whom hos action has been carried out.

Arnold Thursday, 19 October 2017 02:27 PM

Dont worry the CID will hang him upside down, spray chillie powder all over him and get the truth out in no time. BUT the problem is the people who stole BILLIONS of dollars and flaunted it openly are still at large and doing protests and giving the motorists a hard time.

Nina Kamal Thursday, 19 October 2017 12:05 PM

So what's the big deal! Lets set up a PCo and keep questioning him endlessly! This is how it works, let him fly until he's proven guilty!!!

Dee Thursday, 19 October 2017 12:20 PM

Income from these would have been taken to the equation where someone stated that 100 managers get a mil a month and 5 gets over 3 mil.

TONY Thursday, 19 October 2017 12:31 PM

WELL DONE CUSTOMS. BETTER REWARDS WILL BRING MORE CATCH

Gamarala Monday, 23 October 2017 11:36 AM

Why are you congratulating the biggest crooks. They work at the customs.

Nalin Thursday, 19 October 2017 12:33 PM

For this guy who has got caught there are many other crew members who continue to smuggle currency, Ecstasy pills, vehicle parts, liquor, cigarettes and pornographic material.

Ammmata Appata aachita Thursday, 19 October 2017 12:48 PM

my Goodness Sri Lankan airlines still keep old bicycle on the on board to serve the people. may be he wants to retire from the job. so He did this finally. Very shame for sri lankan airline for recruiting such staff

Sincere Thursday, 19 October 2017 01:25 PM

Surely, this cannot be his first mission. He seems to be so experienced in the job!

TONY Thursday, 19 October 2017 06:11 PM

21 MILLION IS A BIG AMOUNT. DID HE ROB THE GOLD IN DUBAI OR IS HE CARRYING IT FOR OTHERS

Sara Thursday, 19 October 2017 08:22 PM

All he has to say is:"I do not know how I got these items in my Knee Gard" "I cannot remember if I was ever on duty on this particular flight"

ed Friday, 20 October 2017 02:29 AM

NOW THAT WE HAVE SEEN ENOUGH EVIDENCE OF THE GOLD , MONEY BEING CONFISCATED BY THE SRI LANKAN CUSTOMS AUTHORITY AT THE AIRPORT. HAS THIS BEEN ADVERTISED OR IS THERE A NOTIFICATION POSTED IN THE NEWSPAPERS ON ALL THREE LANGUAGES? IF SO WHERE WILL THESE GOODS AUCTIONED? OR DOES SOMEONE IN THE CUSTOMS INFORM JEWELRY DEALERS? OR WHAT OTHER FORMALITIES ARE PRACTICED? WE AS CITIZENS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY CORRUPT OFFICIALS AT THE CUSTOMS HANDLING SUCH CASES AS THIS HAS BECOME A HUGE BUSINESS WITHIN THE CUSTOM OFFICIALS ????

ED Friday, 20 October 2017 02:34 AM

AS PASSENGERS WE FACE UNWANTED SECURITY CHECKS , WITH THIS SITUATION IT'S BETTER TO CHECK THE CREW MEMBERS TOO AND GET THEM TO DECLARE FILLING OUT THE CUSTOM FORMALITY FORMS AND ELECTRONIC SCANNING DONE. THIS SECURITY CHECK PROCESS WILL ELIMINATE SUCH SITUATIONS AMONG THE CREW . HOW MANY TIMES WOULD HAVE THIS GUY SMUGGLED GOLD BEING A CREW MEMBER AND THE NUMBER OF YEARS IN SERVICE ?????

ED Friday, 20 October 2017 02:37 AM

WHAT A REPUTATION TO THE SRI LANKAN CREW ????THEY HAVE BECOME THE TOP SMUGGLERS IN THE COUNTRY !!! HOW DRUGS ????? THEY COULD USE THE SAME PROCEEDURE ???? WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THIS COUNTRY'S PRIDE AND HONESTY ????

Jaliya Friday, 20 October 2017 11:55 AM

No pride honesty or ethics we have all become politicians. This is the reason when you travel with a Sri Lankan passport to EU UK AUS USA CAN ....... your asshole is looked up by a microscope to determine whether you are eligible to enter that country with valid visa .......... that you waited in the que for months to receive visa for your honeymoon..

ceylon Friday, 20 October 2017 04:56 PM

for few millions arrested.others robed trillions but nothing happened. via DM Android App

business united Friday, 20 October 2017 10:48 PM

People have no clue how much the customs and the inland revenue officials are looting from importers and businesses. They use their power to extort money from the businesses. Its absolutely sick to the bone when you spend one full day observing how they all operate. From the pune all the way upto the DIRECTOR GENERAL. I was kept waiting at the airport customs for 4 hrs for simply refusing to pay them extra (as they knew from my body language and my tone that I was not willing to pay these guys a single penny) after declaring the goods and having the proper documentation for it. not a single government department have introduced an online system where people can get approval or get their things done online and make the payment online without visiting their filthy offices and having to meet filthy government servants. We being citizens are unable to renew our passports online.

DISGUSTED CITIZEN Wednesday, 25 October 2017 01:39 PM

BUT TODAY THE CULPRIT IS OUT AND HAVING A GOOD LAUGH. THIS IS THE JUSTICE IN SRI LANKA

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UL cabin crew supervisor nabbed with jewellery worth Rs.27 mn at BIA

Comments - 26

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