Brazilian nabbed with cocaine worth Rs. 243 million

In a major breakthrough in the fight against international drug trafficking, the Sri Lanka Customs today intercepted a cocaine haul valued at Rs. 243 million. 

 

Customs Additional Director General and  Media Spokesman Seevali Arukgoda said the narcotics were smuggled into the country by a 59-year-old Brazilian national using a highly sophisticated concealment method.

 

The arrest was made in the early hours today by officers from the Narcotics Control Unit of the Sri Lanka Customs at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), he said.

 

The suspect, who had arrived from Brazil via Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR658, was apprehended around 2:45 a.m. following precise risk profiling and surveillance operations.

 

Upon inspection, officers discovered 4,855 grams of cocaine ingeniously hidden inside seven backpacks that were packed within the suspect’s checked-in luggage. 

 

Customs authorities described the concealment method as one of the most advanced they have encountered in recent history.

 

“This is one of the most sophisticated concealments of narcotics ever uncovered by Sri Lanka Customs,” an official stated, highlighting the level of planning and deception involved in the smuggling attempt.

 

The suspect, along with the seized drugs, will be handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau for further investigations and legal proceedings. 

 

Meanwhile, the Customs Narcotics Control Unit has launched a detailed probe into the international trafficking network behind the operation.