By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

The law enforcement agents are on alert as counterfeit cigarettes in bulk arrived at the airport and were also found within the country during the last couple of days amounting to the value of over Rs.1.5 million.

Two separate attempts to smuggle in imported brands of cigarettes were thwarted by the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A Sri Lankan passenger returning from Muscat, Oman was intercepted by the officials at the Arrival Terminal and found counterfeit cigarettes worth over Rs.860,000. The passenger had been identified as a resident of Parakaduwa.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday the police took another person into custody returning from Dubai and having illicit cigarettes worth over 640,000 in his baggage.

The officials seized 43 cartons of Manchester brand cigarettes from the first detection, whilst 32 cartons of the same brand were seized from the second case.

Meanwhile, the Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel in Ambalantota had arrested a man selling illicit cigarettes and found brands of Platinum Seven, Manchester and Argos from his possession worth over Rs.150,000.

According to law enforcement agents the flow of illegal cigarettes have risen in the past few months as the price of locally manufactured fags have gone up excessively in the past couple of years owing to the government’s exorbitant taxation.