Customs officers foil attempt to smuggle in cigarettes

A stock of 41, 040 sticks of cigarettes that were being smuggled illegally into the country were detected and seized by Customs officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) this morning. 

The seized cigarettes have a combined value of Rs.2, 052, 000, Sri Lanka Customs revealed. 

Customs Media Spokesman Vipula Minuwanpitiya stated that the stock of cigarettes had been smuggled in on a flight from Dubai and were packed into 159 cartons and 462 packets. 

Two females aged 40 and 31 years and a male aged 42 years who were attempting to smuggle the cigarettes into the country were detained. 

They were later released after the goods were forefitted and the suspects being severely warned. 

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