Sri Lanka Customs officers have arrested two airline passengers who attempted to smuggle a stock of gold jewellery worth over Rs. 100 million into the country at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake.
The two passengers are said to be local businessmen who had arrived onboard an Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai at 8.30 a.m. this morning (19).
They had been arrested by customs officers at the airport while attempting to exit through the Green Channel. Officers had searched their luggage and discovered the gold jewellery weighing around 5.5 kilograms, concealed inside boxes of whiskey bottles after removing the bottles.
One of the suspects is a 60-year-old resident of Ambalangoda while the other is a 65-year-old resident of Bambalapitiya.
The confiscated gold jewellery includes chains, necklaces, bangles and earrings while they are estimated to be worth over Rs. 100 million in total.
