A Chinese national was arrested by Customs officials at the departure terminal of Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake this morning (31) while attempting to smuggle a consignment of Salacia reticulata (Kothala Himbutu), an indigenous plant to Sri Lanka that contains high medicinal value, out of the country.
Officials stated that the suspect had packed 21 kilograms of Salacia reticulata in several packages with labels of a well-known Sri Lankan tea brand in an attempt to smuggle them to China, said Ada Derana reporter.
The 46-year-old suspect reportedly arrived at the BIA at 1:40 a.m. today to board China Eastern Airlines flight MU-714, which was scheduled to depart for Kunming, China.
Salacia reticulata is an indigenous plant species that cannot be taken out from Sri Lanka under the provisions of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO) of Sri Lanka.
Further investigations into the incident are being conducted by Customs officers at the BIA and the Biodiversity, Cultural and National Heritage Protection Division of Sri Lanka Customs.
