Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officers arrested an airline passenger who was attempting to smuggle into the country a stock of foreign cigarettes worth Rs. 4.5 million, at the Arrivals terminal of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).
The suspect is a 57-year-old resident of Gampola who had worked as a guard in a building in Dubai.
Based on information received from officers at the BIA, the officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau had arrested him while he was leaving the airport. He had arrived at 12.30 am from Dubai. PNB officers arrested him while he was hiding 135 cartons of cigarettes containing 27,000 cigarettes in two suitcases he had brought with him.
He was released on Police bail. He is to be produced before the Negombo Magistrate’s Court on December 18.
T.K.G. Kapila