Rs. 400 Mn worth gold smuggled from Chennai | Daily News

Rs. 400 Mn worth gold smuggled from Chennai

Sri Lanka Customs officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake arrested five Sri Lankan passengers attempting to smuggle gold worth over Rs. 400 million yesterday morning. According to Customs officials this is the second biggest gold stock nabbed by them in the history of Sri Lanka Customs.

The raid had been conducted on intelligence information received by the Finance Ministry from Intelligence Agencies in India.

Customs seized 22 kg of rough gold jewellery and gold powder worth over Rs. 400 million in the possession of the passengers who arrived from Chennai.

The Customs said they seized painted gold ornaments, gold powder and gold-plated clothes from the luggage of the passengers.

State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya was at the Katunayake Airport to observe the raid.

The state minister who spoke to the media stated that at a time when Sri Lanka is facing a huge foreign exchange crisis, these gold smugglers are bringing gold worth around 30 million dollars per month into the country. The minister also said that circulars will be issued soon to curb the smuggling of 24 carat gold, and that the legal provisions will be prepared in a way that Sri Lankan migrant workers who return to Sri Lanka after working abroad are not treated unfairly.


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