Customs seize largest ‘Magic Mushroom’ haul in history worth Rs.70Mn

Pic by T K G Kapila  

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

Sri Lanka Customs yesterday seized the largest stock of ‘Magic Mushrooms’ in history worth over Rs.70 million along with a stock of other narcotic drugs, from a parcel courier service in Seeduwa, which had been sent from the USA and the Netherlands.  Officials of the Customs Narcotic Control Unit following a probe ordered to detain nine parcels which had arrived from the USA and the Netherlands a few weeks back, addressed to several local recipients.   

When the officials found out that the parcels had been addressed to fake addresses in Colombo, Maharagama and Piliyandala they decided to open them and search, sources at the Customs Narcotic Control Unit said.   

The sleuths found 4 kilos of Cannabis variant Kush, 300 grams of Magic Mushrooms also known as Shrooms, 2,000 tablets of Ecstasy (MDMA) and some intoxicated chocolates within the nine parcels.   

Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms, are a polyphyletic informal group of fungi that contain psilocybin, which turns into psilocin upon ingestion. They are also used as recreational drugs.   

Customs Spokesman Senior Director Sudaththa Silva said the contraband had been handed over to the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) for further investigations.