Sri Lanka Customs has arrested a 47-year-old Ugandan woman at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country.
Customs officials attached to the Narcotics Control Unit (NCU) intercepted the suspect on Sunday morning (12 April) after she arrived in Sri Lanka from Uganda via Doha on Qatar Airways flight QR664, based on intelligence and risk profiling.
During a detailed search, officers discovered 21 cocaine capsules carefully concealed inside her clothing, weighing approximately 274 grams in total. The estimated street value of the seized narcotics is around Rs. 12.33 million.
Customs officials also suspect that the woman may have ingested additional narcotics capsules internally. She has been placed under medical observation while further legal procedures are being carried out.
The suspect and the seized drugs were later handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) for further investigations and legal action.
Sri Lanka Customs said the operation highlights the department’s intelligence-led enforcement efforts to prevent Sri Lanka from being used as a transit hub or destination for illegal narcotics.
Further investigations are underway to identify the source of the drugs, intended distribution network, and any local or international accomplices. (Newswire)