Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) inspectors raided shops and beauty salons in Thalduwa and Dehiowita in the Kegalle District on April 5, uncovering a string of consumer-protection violations as enforcement ramps up ahead of the Sinhala-Tamil New Year.
Inspectors found samba rice being sold above the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) and keeri samba being hoarded while traders falsely told customers it was out of stock. Other violations included goods displayed without price tags, expired items still on shelves, products lacking the mandatory SLS certification mark, and substandard materials used in beauty salons.
Pre-Avurudu enforcement push
The raids form part of a wider seasonal enforcement drive ahead of Avurudu around April 13-14, when household demand for rice, oil, sugar and dairy peaks. They follow the presidential gazette on samba imports issued earlier this month to address an emerging samba shortage and bring prices back under control.
Earlier in the week, CAA officers also raided a restaurant in Kandy for selling bottled water above the printed price.
The CAA urged consumers to check expiry dates and displayed prices during festive shopping and to report violations to the consumer protection hotline 1977. The authority did not name the traders involved or specify how many were arrested.
