STF seizes largest haul of smuggled cigarettes in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO (News 1st); The largest stock of cigarettes smuggled into the country by fraudulenty releasing them via customs was seized by the STF recently.

According to information received by the STF Organized Crime Prevention personnel, OIC of Organized Crime Unit R.A.K. Dissanayake, including a team of officers seized a container of cigarettes which had been smuggled into the country duty free and through Sri Lanka Customs.

Two containers with the same registration number plates of the same type and the same color were utilized for the smuggling and while inspecting a container with a import license, another vehicle similar to the same vehicle came out of the customs premises with illegally imposed cigarettes.

The raid was carried out on the basis of intense effort and long-term intelligence, the STF stated.

4 million cigarettes were found in 200,000 packs in the container truck and the total value of the stock of cigarettes has been found out to be around Rs. 280 million.

The tax loss to the Government of Sri Lanka on these duty free cigarettes is over Rs. 200 million.

Five suspects between the ages of 29 and 48 have been arrested with a stock of cigarettes and handed over to the Peliyagoda Police Station for further investigations.