A 26-year-old Bolivian woman was arrested this morning with a large stock of cocaine worth Rs. 230 million at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) by the customs officers attached to the Narcotics Control Unit, the Customs Deputy Director (Legal) and media spokesman Sudatta Silva said.

He stated that the 4.6 kg of cocaine was discovered in the green channel area of the customs arrival alley, sealed in a cloth bag and a backpack.

The customs investigations revealed that this was her first trip abroad, and this was her first flight permit issued by the Bolivian government this month.

"The woman suspect arrived in the country from Dubai with a single bag. The customs officers found that the clothes, fabrics, and parts of the bag made of cloth, including the pockets, were soaked in cocaine liquid, and this cocaine stock was prepared and brought as a solution," the spokesman said.

The officers of the Customs Narcotics Control Division said that the concentration of cocaine in the cocaine solution that has been brought is high.

The customs officers revealed that a special chemical had been used to carefully separate the soaked cloths.

She started traveling from Brazil with this stock of drugs and arrived in Dubai, and then she arrived at BIA on an Emirates flight, EK 650 .

"She was supposed to be paid $500 for transporting this drug stock to Sri Lanka. Further questioning revealed that a person was supposed to come and receive the luggage containing the drugs from the Katunayake airport terminal building," Silva said.

Investigations were carried out by the Narcotics Control Unit customs officers with the assistance of the police narcotics bureau. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama and T.K.G. Kapila)

Pix by T.K.G Kapila