Chinese passenger nabbed at BIA for smuggling protected Kothalahimbutu

Colombo, April 5 (Daily Mirror) - A Chinese national attempting to illegally smuggle 48.6 kilograms of Kothalahimbutu out of Sri Lanka has been arrested by Customs officers at the Departure Terminal of Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

The arrest was made during a raid conducted on April 2, as part of ongoing surveillance operations at the airport. The suspect was preparing to board China Eastern Airlines flight MU 714 from Colombo to Kunming, China.

Customs officials said the consignment concealed within the passenger’s luggage, carefully packed and disguised as parcels of tea. Upon inspection, officers identified the contents as Kothala Himbutu, a plant species protected under Sri Lanka’s Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.

Authorities said that exporting the plant in this manner is illegal and also constitutes a violation of the Customs Ordinance.

The seized stock, valued at approximately Rs. 145,000, has been confiscated, while a fine of Rs. 200,000 has been imposed on the passenger.

Further investigations are being carried out by Sri Lanka Customs, along with its Biodiversity, Cultural and National Heritage Protection Unit.

Sri Lanka Customs said that in recent months, several attempts to illegally export endemic and threatened plant species have been successfully detected and prevented.