Customs seize Rs.60mn worth booze, fags, cosmetics sent from abroad

A large stock of foreign spirits worth of Rs.60 million accompanied with cosmetics, turmeric and cigarettes sent in several large UPBS (Unaccompanied Passenger Baggage) from Dubai seized by the Sri Lanka Customs were exposed to the media yesterday.

The large consignment in five UPBS had arrived in the country few days back addressed to a list of individuals residing countrywide.

The items had been detained at the Customs Central Cargo Examination Directorate at the Rank Container Terminal in Orugodawatta, the Customs sources said.

Since nobody had come to claim the consignment and the goods seemed suspicious, the Customs Revenue Task Force (RTF) officials in charge of the items had commenced an inquiry to find that all the consignees mentioned in the baggages were false addresses.

The officials had then opened the boxes to find about 10,000 bottles of one litre whiskey brand of ‘Highland Queen’, a large stock of turmeric, cosmetics, rubber slippers and footwear as well as a large stock of cigarettes consignment containing one million sticks.

High ranking officials from both Sri Lanka Customs and Sri Lanka Excise Department attended the event including Customs Director General Vijitha Ravipriya, Director RTF Ruwan Jayasinghe, Deputy Director Ranjith Kumarasinghe and Nalin Premaratne, Superintendents A. A. D. C. Shanthapriya, R. P. Sarathchandra and D.S.C. Sampath Geeganage with Excise Commissioner General M. J. Gunasiri and Excise Commissioner Kapila Kumarasinghe attended the event.

The items will be forfeited following the Customs inquiry.(KURULU KOOJANA KARIYAKARAWANA)

Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana