SL Customs thwart massive Karunka transshipment at port

Pic by Nimalsiri Edirisinghe

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

Sri Lanka Customs yesterday displayed a large Karunka (areca nut) transshipment worth over Rs.27 million, which had arrived in the Colombo Port from Malaysia in June this year.   

Customs Central Intelligence Directorate (CID) officials on information searched a 40 foot container that arrived in the country and found 25 metric tons (25, 530Kg) of Karunka, which had been declared as printing material.   
According to Customs Spokesperson Director Seevali Arukgoda, the consignment had been valued at Rs.27, 400, 000.   

The authorities suspect the consignment was to be relabelled as Sri Lanka areca nut and to be exported to India for a huge profit margin. Importing Karunka or areca nut to Sri Lanka is prohibited by law as it will affect the local areca nut industry.   

Director of Customs CID T W K Wijetunge headed the investigations with Senior Deputy Director Thimal Warnakulasuriya, Deputy Directors H R G Karunathilake and Rajitha Komangoda, Deputy Superintendent Viraj Thilakaratne and Assistant Superintendents Kelum Thushara, Shanaka Kumarage, Sudesh Ferando and Erandi Silva.