Eighteen Chinese and Sri Lankan passengers have been arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for attempting to smuggle a stock of foreign-manufactured cigarettes valued at Rs. 31.38 million.
The suspects, who arrived at the airport early this morning (30) on several flights from Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, were apprehended while attempting to smuggle the cigarettes through the Green Channel, said Ada Derana reporter.
Among those arrested are 16 Chinese nationals and two Sri Lankans, all of whom are reported to be businessmen.
Airport Customs officials and officers attached to the Customs Narcotics Control Unit discovered 1,046 cartons containing 209,200 sticks of Chinese-manufactured cigarettes concealed inside 27 pieces of luggage carried by the suspects.
The stock of cigarettes is estimated to be worth approximately Rs. 31,380,000.
Further investigations into the incident are being conducted by the Airport Police.
