The Sri Lanka Navy recovered more than 520kg (wet weight) of Tendu leaves adrift in the sea area off Mampuri, Kalpitiya, during a night patrol conducted on 23rd January 2024.
The Navy conducts regular search operations to curb illegal activities such as smuggling in the sea and coastal areas belonging to Sri Lanka. As an extension of these efforts, an Inshore Patrol Craft attached to the Northwestern Naval Command detected and retrieved 16 suspicious parcels adrift in the sea area off Mampuri, during a patrol carried out in the dark hours of 23rd January. During subsequent search of the parcels, naval personnel found that the packages had been stuffed with Tendu leaves, weighing about 520kg and 760g (wet weight).
It is suspected that smugglers might have abandoned the stock of Tendu leaves, being unable to smuggle them into the country due to naval operations. The retrieved stock of Tendu leaves has been kept in the naval custody until onward legal action is initiated.
