News
Customs strikes it lucky on Sept. 21
Contraband amounting to nearly Rs. 170 million was seized at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) during the past two weeks alone as Customs officials made a string of major detections, with September 21 turning out to be their luckiest day.
Most of the cases involved gold and foreign currency, according to figures obtained by the Sunday Times.
The biggest detection during the past two weeks came on September 21, when a couple from Dematagoda were trying to smuggle out more than Rs. 88 million in local and foreign currencies.
The duo were to board a flight to Dubai when they were nabbed.
Sri Lankan rupees, US dollars, euros, Saudi riyals, Omani riyals and Bahraini rinars were among the types of currency seized from the couple. They were imposed a penalty of Rs. 4.5 million while the seized currency notes were confiscated.
Also on the same day, the Customs busted another attempt to smuggle out US$ 62,550 (Rs. 9.3 million). Two days later, on September 23, they foiled yet another attempt to smuggle out more than US$ 30,000.
There have been several attempts to smuggle gold in the past two weeks. The biggest bust was when on September 21, two women attempted to smuggle gold jewellery worth nearly Rs. 41 million.
Last Sunday, Customs officials made a world headline-hitting detection. They recovered 1 kilogram of gold hidden in the passenger’s rectum. The passenger’s awkward walk aroused suspicion in Customs officials who detained him for a search. Customs officials extracted six gold biscuits and an assortment of gold necklaces and other jewellery items from the passenger. He had been trying to smuggle the gold to India. The haul was valued at Rs. 4.5 million.
During the two week period from September 13 to 27, eight attempts to smuggle gold and gems and four attempts to smuggle foreign currency were detected. Authorities also foiled several attempts to smuggle out Wallapatta and Kothalahimbutu; both of which are protected species of flora. A haul of 58.85kg of Wallapatta seized at the airport on September 21 was valued at Rs.3.1 million.
The recent spike in detections could be attributed to hikes is gold prices and currency rates in the world market, Customs deputy director and spokesman Sunil Jayarathna said.
“We have seen such trends from time to time. For example, when the price of gold rises in India, we have more people trying to smuggle gold over there, leading to more detections,” he explained.
Mr Jayarathna said such a spike tends to last for a while before things settle down again.
Most of the suspects who are detected with such contraband are released after a penalty is imposed and the items are confiscated, the Customs deputy director said
Customs have long stressed that most of those who get caught trying to smuggle various contraband are simply ‘carriers,’ who are used by organised syndicates to smuggle goods from one country to another. “The real players work behind the scenes,” Mr Jayarathna said.