• BIA janitor nabbed with 17 kilos of gold biscuits worth over Rs.220Mn

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

An international racket to smuggle in 17 kilos of gold  biscuits worth over Rs.220 million, was busted by the Customs at the  Bandaranaike International Airport on Saturday morning, which was  considered to be the largest gold detection in history.   

Officials of the Customs Narcotic Control Unit following a  comprehensive and strenuous investigation managed to nab a janitor  attached to the airport, who was involved with the gold racket.   

The suspect was caught red-handed when he was trying to  sneak out the stock of gold concealed in a floor cleaning machine, which  had previously been left in one of the toilets in the Arrivals Terminal  by an unknown suspect, probably an arriving passenger.   
Preliminary investigations had revealed that the janitor  had collected the stock of gold carefully wrapped up in polythene and  tape, which had been concealed in the drainage in one of the toilets by the  arriving suspect.   
The janitor had collected the parcel of gold and had hidden  inside his cleaning machine before trying to sneak out of the lobby  under the nose of the authorities, when he was stopped on suspicion and  searched.   

According to Customs officials, the parcel contained 161 gold biscuits of 24-Carat, which is valued at Rs.220,000,000.   

Meanwhile, the officers of the same unit had found another  three parcels containing 1.5 kilos of gold jewellery from another toilet  in the Arrivals Terminal yesterday morning, which was suspected to have  been left behind the same suspect or suspects. 

 
Customs Superintendents Udaya Gamini, Hasantha Guruge and  Deputy Superintendents Nuwan Abeynayake, Srilal Wijewardena, Rasika  Samanjith with Assistant Superintendents Dilshan Weligampitiya and Binoj  Cooray are conducting investigations on the instructions of Director  Social Protection Division S. Rajaratne and Deputy Director Narcotic  Control Unit T. Welikala under the supervision of Customs Director  General Vijitha Ravipriya and Additional Director General Enforcement  Ananda Easwaran.   

According to Customs sources, one kilogramme of 24-Carat gold is worth Rs.13 million.   

The arrested janitor would be detained for further investigations.            

• According to Customs officials, the parcel contained 161 gold biscuits of 24-Carat, which is valued at Rs.220,000,000