Couple held with foreign cigarettes worth over Rs 3.2 million at BIA

Two Sri Lankan passengers have been detained at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake for attempting to smuggle a haul of foreign cigarettes worth over Rs 3.2 million into the country.

Sri Lanka Customs said that the passengers, a married couple both aged 29, had arrived in the country along with their two children, who are aged 07 and 05, from Dubai at around 7.40 p.m. last night.

Preliminary inquiries have revealed that the duo run a small-scale business at Giriulla, Kurunegala.

The cigarette cartons were found concealed inside their baggage among their personal belonging while a total of 64,600 foreign cigarettes worth approximately Rs 3,230,000 were seized.

Following the customs inquiry, the cigarettes were forfeited and the couple was ordered to pay a fine of Rs 75,000.