Rs.100m worth illicit fags seized [January 17 2015]

Customs Central Intelligence Bureau seized a container carrying a large stock of illicit cigarettes worth over Rs.100 million that has been falsely declared as washing detergent, Customs sources said.

The stock of cigarettes of a foreign brand had come in a 20 foot container from Dubai had arrived in the Colombo Port in the last week of December.

The container had consisted about four million sticks of cigarettes which the sale of that particular brand is banned in Sri Lanka.

Customs CIB officials believe that the stock had been smuggled into the country whilst the attention of the law enforcement officials were much focused on the imminent Presidential Election.

When contacted Customs Spokesman Director Leslie Gamini said the container will be opened and displayed to the media on Monday.