Navy nabbed 370 kilos and 600 grams of dried turmeric and 294 kilos and 100 grams of Kendu leaves in the beach areas of Konthampiddi, Mannar and Arippu in Silawathura, respectively, yesterday.
Two suspects were taken into custody along with 13 dried turmeric filled sacks during the raid at Konthampiddi beach, Navy said.
In a separate operation, the SLN was able to find Kendu leaves in 03 sacks during a patrol conducted in Arippu beach. The persons involved in the racket were identified as residents of Palleimunai in Mannar, aged 33 and 37.
The suspects were handed over to the Mannar Public Health Inspector for quarantine.
Meanwhile, the stock of dried turmeric was handed over to the Jaffna Customs Office for onward legal action and the haul of Kendu leaves was held under naval custody until it is produced for onward legal proceedings.
A Sri Lankan man was apprehended at Suvarnabhumi airport for attempting to smuggle wildlife out of the country after three ball pythons were found hidden in his underwear, the Bangkok post reported.
The UK government has unveiled a package of reforms to simplify imports from developing countries which allows for more garments manufactured in Sri Lanka to enter the UK tariff-free.
Read these and more on tomorrow’s edition of the Sunday Times
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