Rs. 26.5m in cigarettes found hidden in furniture from UAE

Colombo, Oct. 30 (Daily Mirror) - Customs officers have uncovered a large stock of smuggled cigarettes worth over Rs. 26.5 million concealed inside a shipment of furniture imported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The consignment, addressed to an individual from Pichchamal Watta, Gurudeniya, Kandy, had arrived in Sri Lanka on June 4, 2025, and was unloaded at the CSL Warehouse, No. 760, Dr. Danister De Silva Mawatha, Colombo 09.

According to Customs sources, the 6.402 CBM consignment containing 19 packages was detained by the SDC (Passenger Services) unit after a suspicious scan image was detected. Despite being notified on three separate occasions July 28, August 22, and September 3 the consignee failed to claim the goods, and letters sent to the given address were returned marked “address inexistent.”

Following instructions from the SDC (Passenger Services), the consignment was opened and examined on October 30, 2025, in the presence of representatives from Nirmana Cargo and Logistics and staff of the CSL Warehouse.

The declared items included furniture and household goods, such as:

• TV stands (4)
• Coffee tables (4)
• Benches with cushions (16)
• Sofa set (4 packages)
• Chairs (4)
• Carpet roll (1)
• Air conditioner (1)
• Wall art pieces (2)
• Chandeliers (3)
• A 55-inch television

However, during the inspection, Customs officers discovered 1,412 cartons of Manchester Red cigarettes and 360 cartons of Platinum Seven cigarettes hidden inside the TV stands, coffee tables, and benches.

The total value of the concealed cigarettes was estimated at Rs. 26,580,000.

Further investigations are underway to identify those responsible for the attempted smuggling and to take legal action under the provisions of the Customs Ordinance.