Passenger arrested with mobile phones worth over Rs. 100 mln at BIA
April 4, 2025 12:27 pm
A 32-year-old individual from Kattankudy in Batticaloa was arrested this morning (04) by the officers of Sri Lanka Customs at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake for attempting to smuggle a stock of high-end mobile phones valued at over Rs. 100 million into the country.
The suspect, who arrived in the country at 6.30 a.m. onboard SriLankan Airlines flight UL-226 from Dubai, had packed a total of 528 of the latest-model mobile phones inside three pieces of luggage.
The consignment included premium brands of smartphones—some valued at over Rs. 500,000 each.
Sri Lanka Customs officials revealed that the suspect had previously worked in several Middle Eastern countries as a hotel employee and is now believed to be operating as a courier for unauthorized electronic imports.
Sri Lanka Customs officers at Katunayake Airport have detained the passenger and are conducting further investigations into the matter.
