Two arrested at BIA with gold hidden among vehicle spare parts

Two businessmen transporting gold worth Rs. 210 million, hidden among vehicle spare parts, were arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

 

The suspects were apprehended while passing through the 'Red Channel' arrival lounge by officers attached to the Airport Criminal Investigation Department.

 

One of the suspects is a 26-year-old resident of Grandpass, Colombo, while the other is a 46-year-old from Rambukwella, Kandy. They are reportedly involved in transporting various goods from foreign countries on behalf of local businessmen.

 

The suspects had arrived at the airport from Dubai at 8:30 a.m. on Emirates Airlines flight EK-650.

 

A stock of gold weighing 6.7 kilograms was discovered in their luggage. This included 21 gold biscuits concealed in two vehicle bearing systems and several gold ingots that had been melted and shaped to fit inside water pump parts of a vehicle cooling system.

 

The two suspects and the stock of gold were later handed over to Customs officers at the Katunayake Airport for further investigations.