Business

Two Sri Lankans were taken into custody at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for trying to smuggle gemstones to China. They hid the gems in their luggage and in their bodies. The suspects, aged 38 and 39, are gem traders from Beruwala. They arrived at BIA around 10:20 p.m. yesterday (21) to catch a flight to Chengdu, China, on China Airlines flight CA-426. Customs officers found the gemstones during their checks. The total value of the gemstones is about Rs. 32 million. The seized items included 390 gemstones, featuring major types such as blue sapphire, ruby, yellow sapphire, diamond, moonstone, tourmaline, and garnet.