Three Lankans arrested with Rs.10mn gold

Two Sri Lankan passengers and an employee of a Duty Free shop at the airport had been arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) yesterday while attempting to smuggle in Rs.10 million worth of gold biscuits into the country, Customs Spokesman Leslie Gamini said.

The passengers from Dubai and the shop employee were arrested with 20 pieces of gold slabs weighing two kilogrammes hidden in his knee guards, at the arrival lounge, Mr. Gamini said.

The arrest was made after Airport Security officers noticed suspicious behavior of the employee.

“During the customs investigations, it revealed that the two passengers were handed over the gold biscuits to the shop employee at the airport,” he said.

The Security officers said that they noticed the suspect rushing to a nearby washroom probably to stuff the gold biscuits into his knee guards so as to smuggle the gold out undetected.

The suspects were residents of Kotahena, Gamini said. (Chaturanga Pradeep, Pix by Nirmala Ferdinandus)