A 63-year-old Filipino woman has been arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake while allegedly attempting to smuggle more than six kilograms of “kush” into Sri Lanka, police said.
The suspect was taken into custody in the early hours of Tuesday (July 14) during a raid at the airport’s arrivals terminal by officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) Airport Unit. Investigators recovered 6 kilograms and 180 grams of the potent cannabis variety, which continues to be trafficked into the country by air couriers, frequently on routes originating in Southeast Asia. The woman remains in PNB custody pending further investigation.
Kush — a high-potency strain that fetches steep prices on the local market — has featured in a string of recent airport seizures, including the arrest of a young courier carrying Rs. 80 million worth of the drug and an Indian national detained on a Bangkok route. The PNB’s airport unit has stepped up screening of arriving passengers as the trade has grown.
In a separate operation on Monday (July 13), the Police Special Task Force (STF) arrested a 23-year-old man at Parangoda in Dompe and recovered crystal methamphetamine, anti-personnel landmines, M16 ammunition and swords. Ada Derana reported the Dompe haul at more than nine kilograms of “ice”. Investigations into both cases are ongoing.
