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Kuwaiti couple in BIA ‘pet’ drama get bail
View(s):A Kuwati couple were arrested and released on bail on Friday after they turned abusive and assaulted five Customs officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport following an argument over the quarantine procedure concerning their pet dog. Police said they were produced before Negombo’s additional magistrate on Friday and released on Rs 200,000 surety bail each while their passports were detained by the courts. The case will be taken up tomorrow.
The couple was identified by the police as Ibrahim Dnyalfraish (29) and Sarahaam Lalduaij (32). Customs media spokesman Sunil Jayaratne said the couple arrived on a Kuwait Airways flight 363 on Friday morning and were allowed to feed the pet which was brought to Colombo in the same flight. But the couple took possession of the dog, disregarding the Customs’ quarantine process.
They were told to fill up a form and proceed to the quarantine section to clear the pet, but they began to argue with Customs officials. They threw objects at them and assaulting them. A female officer sustained an eye injury, the spokesman said. Mr Jayaratne said the couple was to be picked up by a police officer in civvies, but when the situation became violent the officer came in police uniform and spoke in support of the couple.
An officer at the Air Port police denied an officer in civvies had helped the couple. However, video footage shows a person in civvies trying to help the couple and later turning up in uniform. Other custom sources said the policemen had spoken to the Kuwati male in Sinhala and subsequently it was revealed that his mother was a Sri Lankan. They said the Kuwaiti man had spoken disparagingly about Sri Lanka, describing the country as a housemaid exporter to Kuwait.
Mr Jayaratna said the couple had not paid clearance duty, failed to respect the law of the country and caused obstruction to the Custom officials on duty.
In the melee, the couple carrying the dog walked up to the departure gate, but the Customs officers alerted the airport police and arrested them.