Customs bust heroin operation

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

The lid of a heroin smuggling operation was blown off when Customs officers nabbed a Pakistani national who attempted to smuggle in five and a half kilos of heroin to Sri Lanka at the Bandaranaike International Airport yesterday.

The haul was the second largest quantity of heroin to be detected at the BIA in recent times, valued at over Rs 42 million. Last year Customs seized 5.8 kilos of heroin at the BIA.

The detection was made by two Assistant Supdts. of Customs Vimal Piyasumana and Nishantha Sathapriya while examining the baggage of the passenger who had arrived on a flight from Karachi yesterday around 6.30.a.m on Friday.

The quantity of heroin was concealed along with motor spare parts. According to Customs, this was his second visit to the country. It was learnt that the suspect was to deliver the package to a person in Colombo. On previuous occasions too several persons from India and Pakistan were nabbed at the BIA attemting to smuggle in heroin.

Further inquiries are being conducted by the Supdt. of Customs W.T. Walawage. The suspect is to be handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau for further questioning.