Sri Lanka Customs has uncovered a major attempt to smuggle agricultural goods into the country, concealed within a shipment declared as gypsum plaster boards.
The Customs Preventive (Operations) Branch detected the consignment during an inspection, officials said.
The shipment had been imported by a company based in Panwila, Kandy, and was officially declared as standard gypsum plaster boards.
However, upon detailed examination, officers discovered a large quantity of undeclared goods hidden inside the boards.
These included 16,000 kilograms of turmeric fingers and 1,150 kilograms of oven-dried whole cashew nuts.
Customs officials said the items had been carefully concealed within the gypsum boards in an apparent attempt to evade detection and bypass import regulations.
Further investigations are underway to determine those responsible and whether additional parties are involved in the smuggling attempt. (Newswire)