Five Chinese Held At BIA With Smuggled Cigarettes

Five Chinese Nationals Held At BIA With 34,800 Smuggled Cigarettes

by Staff Writer 08-04-2026 | 1:58 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st): Five Chinese nationals have been taken into custody by Sri Lanka Customs, at the Bandaranaike International Airport, while attempting to illegally smuggle a consignment of foreign cigarettes into the country. The seized cigarettes are estimated to be worth Rs. 5.22 million.

According to Customs officials, the suspects had hidden the contraband inside their personal luggage. A total of 174 cartons containing 34,800 sticks of cigarettes were discovered during the inspection.

Further investigations regarding the five suspects are being carried out by Customs authorities.