Cigarettes worth Rs. 500,000 nabbed at BIA

50 cartons of cigarettes valued at Rs. 500,000 have been seized at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Airport Customs reported.

The cigarettes were smuggled into the country by a youth who was returning from Kuwait.

The passenger attempted to smuggle the goods into the country aboard a Kuwait Airways flight bearing the number KU 361, at approximately 3:30 am today (06).

The passenger was imposed a penalty of Rs. 50,000 and released by the Deputy Director of Customs, M. R. Chandana Wijesekara.

The bulk of cigarettes was also confiscated by Airport Customs.

The smuggled goods which were concealed among the passenger’s personal items were detected by Assistant Superintendents of Airport Customs, A. D. Krishantha and W. W. A. P. Fernando.