A Malaysian national has been arrested by officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), for allegedly attempting to smuggle a stock of foreign-manufactured cigarettes valued at Rs. 4.95 million.
Police said the suspect had illegally brought the cigarettes into Sri Lanka and was attempting to take them out of the airport premises when he was arrested.
The suspect, a 42-year-old Malaysian national employed as a driver, arrived at the BIA from Kuala Lumpur at around 12.25 a.m.
A search of his luggage revealed 165 cartons containing 33,000 cigarettes of various brands manufactured in China.
The suspect and the seized cigarette consignment are scheduled to be produced before the Negombo Magistrate’s Court today (23).