Sri Lanka Customs officers at Bandaranaike International Airport detained a Chinese businessman early Monday after discovering more than 229,000 smuggled cigarettes valued at Rs. 34.47 million in his luggage, the second major tobacco seizure at the airport in two days.
The suspect, a 35-year-old Chinese national, arrived at BIA at 12:55 a.m. on Thai Airways flight TG-307 from Bangkok, Ada Derana reported. Officers inspected the passenger’s 13 pieces of luggage and recovered 229,800 cigarettes across eight different brands packed into 1,149 cartons.
Investigators said the traveller had purchased the cigarettes in China and transported them via Bangkok before attempting to bring them into the country. The suspect had previously visited Sri Lanka on three occasions, according to customs officials.
The case is the latest in a sustained run of high-value customs busts at Katunayake. On April 19, customs officers at the same airport arrested a Bangladeshi passenger and seized smuggled cigarettes and bedsheets worth Rs. 5.07 million. Earlier this month, six Chinese nationals were detained with cigarette consignments valued at Rs. 11 million, and another passenger was caught with Rs. 5 million in smuggled cigarettes. Separately, two Indonesians were arrested at BIA on the same day carrying synthetic cannabis worth over Rs. 60 million.
Authorities have identified BIA as a persistent entry point for smuggled tobacco products, particularly from Chinese and Southeast Asian suppliers. Excise duties on imported cigarettes make contraband stocks highly profitable on Sri Lanka’s domestic market.
Further investigations are underway, with the suspect expected to be produced before a magistrate.
