Sri Lanka: Illegal Cigarettes, Cigars Etc Galore

Source from:  The [Sri Lanka] Island (lk)  05/15/2012

Two Sri Lankans had been arrested while attempting to smuggle 250 cartons of cigarettes (each containing 240 sticks) into the country at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Wednesday, Deputy Director Customs said yesterday. The suspects, who were residents of Akkaraipattu, had told the customs that they were returning to the country after going on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and were not aware that their luggage contained cigarettes. A customs officer said that they had been caught at the Green Channel while trying to exit on the basis they had nothing to declare. On checking Customs found the contraband in a box normally used for fruit packing. He said that the suspects had been released after imposing a fine of Rs. 100,000 and the contraband valued at approximately one million rupees was forfeited. Meanwhile, Director of Customs, J. M. Saman Jayasinghe said yesterday that the Special Task and Vigilant Division had been able to bust illegal contraband sent to Sri Lanka during Vesak (May 5 and 6) in bags. They contained tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, pan parag (a kind of narcotic drug), seed onions and cardamom. These items, worth five million rupees ,had been sent to Sri Lanka from countries like China, India, Thailand, he said.Enditem