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Cocaine smuggler Customs’ Gold Card sugar importer
Custom officials show how the Cocaine was packed in the sugar consignment
The sugar importer who got busted this week while attempting to smuggle in more than 80 kg of Cocaine, with an estimated street value of Rs 1.2 billion, concealed in a sugar consignment, was the holder of a “Gold Card” issued by the Sri Lanka Customs for adhering to all tax formalities when making declarations on imports.
The man who has been engaged in the import of sugar for more than a decade, is now in remand custody along with two wharf clerks, and are under interrogation by the Police Narcotics Division. Maligakanda Magistrate R.K. Kumarasiri remanded the men for seven days when they were produced in court on Wednesday.
Preliminary investigations revealed the trader was a regular importer of sugar through the same agent in Brazil.
Police probing the detection have sought the assistance of France to track down information of an intending agent involved in the regular imports of sugar consignments.
Wing Commander (Rtd) Ravi Jayasinghe, Head of the Finance Ministry’s newly formed Unit for Prevention of Illegal Liquor, told the Sunday Times that, acting on a tip-off Thursday, from the Special Task Force (STF), and along with the Customs who were informed 24-hours prior to the raid on the suspicious cargo at the Orugodawatta container terminal, made the detection.
He said the Customs were directed to summon the importer and the clearing agent before opening the four containers of sugar imported by this leading sugar dealer from 5th Cross Street, Pettah.
“The containers on scanning revealed nothing suspicious. However, our informant was certain that one of the containers contained drugs. Thereafter, a manual check detected the contraband in three black bags concealed with the sugar,” said Sub Inspector Sagara Kodithuwakku.
Customs Spokesman and Director- Compliance and Facilitation, Dharmasena Kahandawa said the it was difficult to detect narcotics by scanning, as it resembled sugar.
Pix by Kushan Pathiraja
He said that in the past too they detected drugs through their intelligence network, and not through scanning machines.
He said the previous detection of 261 kg of Heroin was also on a tip-off, denying STF Commandant- Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ranjith Perera’s allegations the scanning machines may have been manipulated.
DIG Perera told a news conference on Friday that the scan should have detected the three black bags of Cocaine.
The Customs have begun an internal inquiry to ascertain if all Customs procedures were followed in this particular instance. A report on the findings is to be finalised by Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the STF also raised doubts about the criteria for consignments from certain countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan which are considered ‘high risk countries’, while consignments from other countries are not strictly checked.
Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajith Rohana told the Sunday Times they were seeking information through the French embassy in Colombo, additional details about the agent and his Brazilian trade links .
“There is no purpose investing on new scanning machines, if those operating the machines cannot be trusted,” he said.