Businessman held at BIA with Rs. 4 mn worth of smuggled cigarettes

By T.K.G Kapila

Colombo, June 15 (Daily Mirror) - A businessman from Kuliyapitiya was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake, for allegedly attempting to smuggle a large stock of foreign-made cigarettes worth nearly Rs. 4 million into the country.

The suspect, a 40-year-old resident of Kottaramulla, Kuliyapitiya, was apprehended by officers of the Airport Police Narcotics Bureau in the early hours of June 13 while leaving the airport.

Investigations revealed that he had arrived from Sharjah on Air Arabia flight G9-587 at around 3.30 a.m. Officers inspecting two suitcases in his possession discovered 133 cartons containing 26,600 foreign-manufactured cigarettes of the "Manchester" and "Platinum" brands.

The seized consignment has an estimated market value of Rs. 3.99 million.

The suspect was later released on police bail and is due to be produced before the Negombo Magistrate's Court on June 16 along with the seized cigarettes. Further investigations are being conducted by the Airport Police Narcotics Bureau.