Six Chinese nationals were arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Thursday morning after Customs officers discovered 75,900 smuggled cigarettes in their luggage, authorities said.
The suspects arrived on three separate flights in the early hours of April 16. Officials from BIA Customs and the Sri Lanka Customs Narcotics Control Unit inspected their bags and recovered the China-manufactured cigarettes concealed among personal items.
The value of the seized consignment is estimated at Rs. 11,385,000. Customs officers have launched further investigations into the group, who remain in custody.
The arrests come on the same day as a separate operation saw nine other Chinese nationals detained at BIA over illegally imported electronics and telecom equipment linked to suspected cybercrime activity. Earlier this week, BIA Customs also seized 84 mobile phones from another Chinese arrival in connection with a cybercrime investigation.
Cigarette smuggling through BIA has been a persistent concern for Sri Lanka Customs, which flagged Rs. 507 million in seized cigarettes and bedsheets in a larger operation earlier this month.
