Pic by Pradeep Dilrukshana 

• 16,000 metric tons of beetroot hidden inside a 40-foot reefer  container filled with another 44,000 metric tons of potatoes was recovered 

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

A large stock of beetroot worth over Rs.3.2 million, which had been smuggled into the country concealed inside a shipment of potatoes against the import laws, was seized by Sri Lanka Customs yesterday. 

Customs Central Cargo Examination officials following a lengthy probe managed to unearth an organised syndicate that smuggle beetroot from Pakistan concealed in potato shipments and declared as the latter.   
Customs Spokesman Deputy Director General Sudath Silva told the Daily Mirror that beetroot was in the low risk goods list, the importation of which is controlled or prohibited.

   
The sleuths commenced investigations following media reports that quoted vendors in Dambulla Economic Centre last week, about a foreign kind of beetroot present in their stocks distributed by an unknown source.   
The probe led to the recovery of 16,000 metric tons of beetroot carefully hidden inside a 40-foot reefer container filled with another 44,000 metric tons of potatoes.   

The contraband was displayed to the media yesterday at the Customs warehouse in Grayline II at Orugodawatta with the participation of Customs Chief Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Vijith Ravipriya and Director Central Cargo Examination D. A. S. Chandrasiri.   

Preliminary investigations found that the importer of the contraband was from Wattala and the Customs detained the wharf clerk who came to release the goods.   

•  Beetroot was in the low risk goods list, the importation of which is controlled or prohibited