Four Sri Lankan air passengers have been detained by Customs officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) early this morning (6) while attempting to smuggle in a large stock of whisky bottles and cardamom valued at approximately Rs. 15 million.
The passengers, who had arrived from Bangalore, India on IndiGo flight 6E-1183 at around 1:00 a.m., were reportedly returning from an overseas trip. They are residents of Colombo and Hatton areas, according to police.
Customs officers uncovered the contraband during a routine inspection of 20 pieces of luggage. The haul included 378 bottles of whisky purchased from a duty-free outlet abroad, along with 132 kilograms of cardamom – both undeclared.
The items were seized under suspicions of commercial intent and customs violations. Further investigations are currently underway. (Newswire)
