A foreign national who attempted to smuggle a stock of foreign cigarettes has been arrested by a group of Customs officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).
The seized stock of foreign cigarettes is estimated to be worth with an estimated street value of Rs. 5.1 million.
The suspect has been arrested while attempting to exit the airport through the ‘‘Green Channel’’ which is designated for passengers with no items to declare at the BIA.
The suspect has been identified as 36-year-old Bangladeshi businessman, Ada Derana reporter said.
He had arrived at the BIA at around 12.55 a.m. onboard Thai Airways flight TG-307 from Bangkok, Thailand.
Upon inspection, customs officers had discovered 170 cartons containing 34,000 sticks of foreign-made cigarettes concealed inside two pieces of luggage.
The seized stock of cigarettes was confiscated, and the suspect has been ordered to pay a fine of Rs. 100,000, customs officials said.
