It has now become a normal practice for politicos with status at national level to do duty-free shopping far in excess of their duty-free entitlements.

Recently there was much talk about a deputy purohita who had to pay a fine plus duty on an expensive TV set he had taken away with no initial trouble through the VIP channel. 

Meanwhile, a story making rounds says that a Diyawanna member holding some secretarial status in a Red party too dodged paying duty due on an expensive curve TV set bought from a duty-free shop at the Katunayake airport.

This Red Diyawanna member had bought the TV set worth Rs.900,000 for Rs.200,000 and had taken it through the VIP departure channel straight to a waiting car outside the gate without paying the duty due on it to the Customs. 

Some people breach the very precepts they preach to others, they say.