Customs officers at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake have arrested a 29-year-old Indian national who attempted to smuggle 4 kilograms and 389 grams of “Kush” cannabis into Sri Lanka. The seized stock is valued at Rs. 43.8 million.
According to Sri Lanka Customs, the drugs were packed into four separate packets hidden inside two suitcases. Investigations revealed the suspect had arrived in Sri Lanka from Bangkok, Thailand.
The arrest is the latest in a series of Kush seizures at Katunayake. Earlier this month customs intercepted a Bangkok-route Sri Lankan suspect carrying 512 grams of Kush hidden in chocolates. In April, customs seized Kush worth Rs. 113 million concealed in chocolate boxes and arrested a 24-year-old Indian national with 2 kilograms of the synthetic drug.
Kush — a synthetic cannabinoid mixture marketed under the same name as the cannabis strain — has emerged as one of the most frequently intercepted drugs on the Bangkok-Colombo route in 2026, alongside conventional cannabis and methamphetamine.
