18 November 2023 12:00 am Views - 152
By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya
The Police Special Task Force (STF) seized a 40-foot container in the Grandpass area, with over 10 million sticks of cigarettes with a street value of Rs. 1,300 million. Police said the stock of cigarettes had been illegally imported into Sri Lanka without paying excise duty.
Acting on a tip-off regarding the transport of narcotics, the STF intercepted the container near the Kelanitissa Power Station in Grandpass.
Upon searching the container, the STF discovered 10,420,000 sticks of cigarettes. A 65-year-old suspect, a resident of Makola, was arrested in connection with the illegal import.
Investigations revealed that the container, loaded with cigarettes, was en route to the Orugodawatta container yard at the time. The arrested suspect, along with the seized container, was handed over to the Grandpass Police for further investigations.