A consignment of high-tech communications equipment that was being smuggled into the country was seized at the Bandaranaike International Airport yesterday morning, Customs officials said.
The goods were found inside baggage belonging to a Catholic church worker who was travelling from Singapore. The passenger was arrested and is being questioned by police and Customs officials.
The contraband included 40 pieces of GPS (global positioning system) equipment, 40 pieces of Motorola communication equipment, and 30 antennas. The items were packed inside two sets of speakers that the clergyman had declared to Customs. The Sunday Times learns that the detection was made on a tip-off received by an intelligence agency. Police investigating said they would not rule out the possibility that the contraband was intended for Tiger guerrillas in the North.
GPS is a sophisticated navigation and positioning tool. Microwave signals travelling between a satellite and land-based transmitters help to indicate the exact position of the person holding the transmitter.
The clergyman was identified as a resident of Thoppuwa, Kochchikade, in Negombo. | 
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