A 46-year-old Indian engineer has been arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport in Sri Lanka after allegedly attempting to smuggle narcotics worth Rs 455.5 million into the country, including more than 23,000 drug tablets and 5.121kg of cocaine concealed in his luggage.
The arrest was made on the night of the 28th by officers of the Customs Narcotics Control Unit at the airport’s arrival terminal. The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed, had arrived in Sri Lanka carrying two substantial consignments of narcotics, according to customs officials.
The tablets, weighing 13.173kg, numbered more than 23,000 and were valued at Rs 198 million. A senior officer of the Customs Narcotics Control Unit said the seizure was the largest quantity of drug tablets ever intercepted in Sri Lanka. The discovery represents a significant component of the total consignment seized from the passenger.
The luggage also contained 5kg and 121g of cocaine, valued at Rs 256 million. The cocaine had been packaged to resemble large chocolate packets, concealing the contents behind an apparently ordinary food-product exterior. The packaging was designed to make the narcotics appear as chocolate products when viewed from outside.
The combined value of the two drug consignments was estimated at Rs 455.5 million, according to the customs assessment. The tablets accounted for Rs 198 million of that amount, while the cocaine was valued at Rs 256 million.
The suspect had travelled from Paris, France, to Doha, Qatar, before boarding Qatar Airways flight QR 654 to Sri Lanka. He arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport at approximately 9pm on the 28th, carrying the drugs in his travel bag.
Customs Narcotics Control Unit officers intercepted him at the airport’s arrival terminal and discovered the concealed substances during the examination of his luggage. The seizure included both the tablets and the cocaine, which had been packed separately within the same bag.
Following the arrest, customs authorities took steps to hand over the Indian national and the seized narcotics to officers of the Airport Police Narcotics Bureau for further investigations.
The investigation is expected to establish further details concerning the consignment and the circumstances surrounding its transportation into Sri Lanka.
