Sri Lankan woman arrested at BIA for cigarette smuggling attempt

 

A Sri Lankan woman has been arrested by Airport Customs officers at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for attempting to smuggle a large consignment of foreign-made cigarettes into the country.

The arrest was made this morning after the passenger attempted to exit through the Green Channel, which is reserved for travelers with no goods to declare. Customs officers detected the illegal consignment during an inspection.

The suspect is a 49-year-old businesswoman from the Bandarawela area. She had arrived in Sri Lanka from Dubai at around 12.45 a.m. on Fly Dubai flight FZ-569.

During the inspection, Customs officers found 118 cartons containing 23,600 “Platinum” brand cigarettes concealed in her suitcase. The seized cigarettes are estimated to be worth Rs. 354,000.

Airport Customs officials have seized the cigarettes and are conducting further investigations into the incident.