Man nabbed with Walla Patta at BIA
February 22, 2017 09:58 am
A man was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake for allegedly attempting to smuggle a haul of ‘Walla Patta’ herb out of the country.
The customs officers have found around 25 kilograms of Walla Patta, also known as Gyrinops walla, estimated to be worth around Rs 1.2 million in his possession.
The suspect has been identified as a 34-year-old resident from Kurunegala.
Transportation or possession of the plant, which only grows in certain parts of the island, is prohibited. The commercial value of this tree came to light with the recent attempts to illegally fell and smuggle it to extract Agarwood.
