Customs nab BIA security guard smuggling Rs.48Mn worth gold biscuits

• Customs imposed Rs.8Mn fine and forfeited the gold

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

A security guard trying to smuggle gold biscuits worth Rs.48 million into the country from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) was nabbed by Sri Lanka Customs yesterday.

Customs Narcotic Control Unit officers stationed at the BIA Departure Terminal took the security guard into custody when he was leaving after work yesterday morning.

The security guard employed under the Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka Ltd had tried to leave the airport by concealing the gold in his trouser pockets.

Customs Spokesperson Additional Director General Seevali Arukgoda told Daily Mirror that they found 18 gold biscuits weighing up to 2.1 kilos and each biscuit was weighing around 116.1 grams.

The suspect upon questioning had told the authorities that he had received the two packets containing gold from an unknown foreigner who was a transit passenger in the departure terminal.

The passenger had reportedly given the guard a sum of Rs.60,000 to take the gold outside, which would be collected by an unknown party afterwards.

The Customs conducted the inquiry and imposed a fine of Rs.8 million on the suspect, before forfeiting the contraband.

However, the suspect who had failed to pay the fine had been produced before Negombo Magistrate and was ordered to be remanded till June 24. He was a resident of Matara.