Customs Narcotics Control Unit officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport arrested a 54‑year‑old Angolan woman in possession of 237 grams of cocaine valued at over Rs. 10 million.

It is reported that she had traveled from Angola to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and then arrived in Sri Lanka via Doha, Qatar. After disembarking, she was seen moving through the terminal in a wheelchair, drawing the attention of customs officers.

Investigations revealed that the suspect voluntarily handed over 14 pellets containing cocaine. She also admitted to having swallowed several more pellets, which are now the focus of further investigation.

The Customs Narcotics Control Unit is continuing inquiries into the incident. (Newswire)

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In the biggest cocaine seizure in Australian history, police have seized 2.7 tonnes of drugs and arrested eight people.

The Australian Federal Police on Monday released details of a raid last Friday in western Sydney that led to the discovery of the drugs allegedly hidden in containers in a secret bunker.

The cocaine was contained in plastic tubs buried in the underground bunker concealed by false container floors.

Police say the cocaine haul is an estimated street value of about $816 million and was equivalent to about three million street deals.

The AFP believes the huge haul of drugs did not originate in the Solomon Islands.

AFP Commander Stephen Jay said officers were alerted by disturbed earth close to a shipping container when they raided the Londonderry property.

He said this led them to the discovery of a “a complex hide … obviously designed for the purpose of concealment.”

During the raid on the semi-rural property in Londonderry, two western Sydney men, aged 21 and 25, allegedly attempted to run away but were caught by officers.

They were  charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug. The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

They are next due to face court in August.

The cocaine bust was part of Operation Minjiang, which was launched in May after 40kg of cocaine was found in the water off a boat ramp at Midge Point in North Queensland. 

Police will allege the cocaine seized at Londonderry was imported into Australia near Midge Point and moved to Sydney at the behest of one of the city’s organised crime groups.  Investigations into this group are continuing.

Last week the AFP announced six people were identified and have been arrested and charged with various drug offences as part of their alleged roles.

A drug carrying mother vessel suspected to be part of the illicit drug importation into Midge Point, remains detained by authorities in the Solomon Islands for further investigation. (Nine.com.au)

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An Indian national has been arrested at the Katunayake Airport after Sri Lanka Customs officers uncovered 2,150 grams of cocaine valued at approximately Rs. 108 million concealed in his luggage.

The suspect, a 60‑year‑old geologist, had arrived from Uganda via Doha on Qatar Airways flight QR 664. 

He was intercepted at the Arrival Terminal around 10.30 am today (15) during a targeted narcotics detection operation conducted by the Narcotics Control Unit (NCU).

Customs officials said the detection was the result of intelligence‑led profiling, close surveillance, and stringent examination procedures carried out as part of ongoing efforts to combat transnational drug trafficking and protect the country from organized smuggling networks.

Preliminary investigations are being conducted by the NCU, and the suspect, along with the seized narcotics, will be handed over to the relevant authorities for further investigation and legal proceedings. (Newswire)

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Police have arrested a woman in possession of approximately 3450 narcotic pills and four and half kilograms of cocaine during a raid carried out in the early hours of January 29, 2026, in the Ganemulla area.

Based on intelligence received, officers conducted the raid and seized the narcotics.

The suspect is a 48-year-old woman identified as a resident of a Bollatte. Police are conducting further investigations. (Newswire)

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A 40-year-old man who police said was attempting to board a flight from Cartagena, Colombia, to Amsterdam, Netherlands, was caught wearing a wig hiding 400 doses of cocaine. 

The Colombian national, originally from Pereira, was arrested at Rafael Nunez International Airport after an officer from the Anti-Narcotics Unit of the National Colombian Police found, through a scanner, that he was wearing “a wig that contained more than 220 grams (7.76 ounces) of cocaine,” police said. 

The amount of cocaine seized by officers represented more than 400 doses and was worth about €10,000 (about $10,450), according to police. 

Footage shared by Colombian police shows the man’s body scan result at the airport, before an officer cuts through the suspect’s wig and tests the substance found, revealing a large amount of cocaine. (Policia de Colombia)

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A Sierra Leone national was arrested at the Katunayake Airport yesterday for the possession of cocaine worth Rs. 13 million.

Officials from the Anti-Narcotics Unit at the airport had taken custody of the man on suspicion. 

After being subject to a scan, the man was found to have swallowed 17 cocaine capsules. 

The 32-year-old suspect was admitted to the Negombo Hospital where the smuggled cocaine was retrieved.

The suspect, along with the retrieved cocaine capsules, have been handed over to the Anti-Narcotics Unit for further investigations. (Newswire)

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Four suspects, including a foreign national, have been arrested for the possession of cocaine.

The Police said two suspects, aged 24 and 32 years, were arrested with 19 capsules of cocaine during an inspection of a car near the Pinnaduwa exit on the Southern Expressway on Tuesday.

The car travelling from Colombo was inspected by the Akmeemana Police on a tip-off from the Galle Harbour Police.

Investigations conducted by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) have found that a Sierra Leonean in Colpetty had handed over the cocaine to the suspect. 

The PNB officials had arrested the 52-year-old Sierra Leonean with 40 capsules of cocaine, USD 500, and other foreign currency in Borella, along with another 28-year-old suspect with 04.700 grams of cocaine. 

The Police Narcotics Bureau and Galle Harbour Police are conducting further investigations. (Newswire)

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A total of 355.881 kilos of cocaine seized during various raids in Sri Lanka were destroyed at the Drug Disposal Center in the Wanathavilluwa area in Puttalam on Thursday.

According to the Police, the narcotic was seized during multiple raids conducted by the Police, Special Task Force (STF) and the Sri Lanka Navy. 

The Police further said that the destroyed stock of cocaine is valued at Rs. 7,829 million. 

Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon attended the occasion. 

IGP Deshabandu has vowed to further strengthen the ongoing operations against the drug menace and that the seized drugs will be promptly destroyed in accordance with the existing laws. (Newswire)

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A Ugandan national has been apprehended at the Katunayake Airport for the possession of 1.74 kilos of cocaine.

According to the Police, the 31-year-old suspect had transported the narcotics by swallowing 72 pellets of cocaine.

He had been arrested upon his arrival from Qatar on Saturday during a raid conducted by the Police Narcotic Bureau officials at the airport. 

Upon being admitted at the Negombo Hospital, the Police were able to recover 72 pellets of cocaine that had been concealed in the suspect’s body. (Newswire)

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A woman from the Philippines has been arrested at the Katunayake Airport with a stock of cocaine worth Rs. 200 million.

Sri Lanka Customs officials at the airport had arrested the woman while they had found 2.851 kilos of cocaine in her possession. 

The woman is reported to have travelled from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia via Doha, Qatar to Sri Lanka. 

Investigations reveal that the woman had concealed three cocaine parcels alongside parcels containing chilli and turmeric powders, and wheat flour.

The woman has been identified as a 47-year-old Assistant Accountant and a Philippine national. (Newswire/ Image- File pic)

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The Police have seized a kilo of cocaine from an apartment complex located on Fredrica Road in Wellawatte.

According to the Police, a 29-year-old individual was arrested for the possession of narcotics.

The Police further stated that the seized stock of cocaine is of a street value of more than Rs.25 million. (NewsWire)

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An Indonesian woman has been arrested at the Katunayake Airport for attempting to illegally smuggle in cocaine via children’s storybooks, to Sri Lanka.

Customs officials said they had seized 4.598 kilos of cocaine, worth Rs. 230 million, that was concealed in the back covers of eight children’s storybooks. 

The suspect was arrested upon her arrival at the Katunayake Airport on Sunday (Oct 22).

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the suspect is a 42-year-old woman operating a clothing business in Indonesia. (NewsWire)

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A Kenyan national has been arrested with 04 kilograms of cocaine, estimated to be worth around Rs. 300 million. 

The Police stated the suspect was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake after having arrived from Ethiopia last night (Sep 24). 

The suspect, who is said to be a Kenyan car dealer, had reportedly travelled from Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa to Doha in Qatar and had then boarded a Qatar Airways flight (QR 654) bound for Sri Lanka. 

The 26-year-old Kenyan was arrested at the arrival terminal by officials of the Sri Lanka Customs narcotics control unit.

He was found to be in possession of 180 capsules of cocaine, weighing 04 kg, that were found concealed inside three metal cookie tins inside his hand luggage. 

The suspect has been handed over to officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) at the BIA along with the seized drugs for further investigations. (NewsWire)

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A stock of cocaine worth Rs. 190 million was seized at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake yesterday.

Sri Lanka Customs officials had detected the stock of 2.5 kilos of cocaine that was sent from Brazil to Sri Lanka. 

Customs officials had found the contraband concealed in a tube used as the hem of a volleyball net.

An authorised officer who had arrived to collect the parcel has been apprehended.

Investigations have revealed that the parcel had been sent to a resident of Colombo. 

The arrested individual along with the stock of cocaine have been handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau for further investigations. (NewsWire)

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Police investigations have revealed that the foreign woman who was arrested with over 4 kilos of cocaine at the Katunayake airport recently had been requested to deliver the bag of narcotics in exchange for US$ 1300. 

The Police stated that the 25-year-old foreign national had been arrested with 4.631 kilos of cocaine after arriving at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake from Dubai on 28th February 2023.

Based on a tip-off, officers of the Anti-Narcotics Unit at the airport had conducted a raid and apprehended the suspect and had found the stock of cocaine concealed under a layer of rexine in the bag.

The suspect has confessed that a Brazilian woman had handed over the bag to her to be transported to Sri Lanka, adding that she had also informed that a man will collect the bag and pay a sum of US$ 1300.

The Police Anit-Narcotics Unit is conducting investigations into the incident. (NewsWire)

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