Customer, Customs officer arrested with drugs worth over Rs.66 Mn in UPB sent from USA

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

A man, who came to clear an unaccompanied personal baggage (UPB) containing cocaine and marijuana worth over Rs.66 million sent from the USA, was arrested by the Customs yesterday afternoon along with a Customs officer who is suspected to have aided and abetted the first suspect.   

Officials of the Customs Revenue Task Force (RTF) made the arrests at a private cargo clearing yard in Colombo where the UPB had been sent to a female addressee in the Gampaha area, Customs sources said.   

With a written consent of the addressee, a 46-year-old male from Wellampitiya had come to clear the goods on behalf of the former and he was taken into custody when the authorities found narcotics inside the goods.   

The officials seized 511 milligrams of Cocaine and 5.1 kilogrammes of cannabis, which had been carefully concealed in several tins of canned food that was contained in the baggage. The drugs had been valued at Rs.66, 940, 000.   

Customs Spokesman Senior Director Seevali Arukgoda told the Daily Mirror upon the statement recorded from the suspect the Customs officials made a second arrest, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs attached to the cargo clearing company on suspicion.   

He said the statement given by the customer had led to suspicions whether the Customs officer had aided and abetted the former to release the contraband.   
Both suspects have been handed over to the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) for further investigations.