Smuggling attempt goes wrong at BIA

SL passenger from Bangkok declares Rs.27Mn worth gold biscuits to

 By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana 

In a bizarre turn of events, a Sri Lankan passenger returning from Bangkok had declared gold biscuits worth over Rs.27 million to the Customs at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), which the authorities suspect as a failed smuggling attempt had prompted him to do so for a minor penalty.  A middle-aged man had returned to the country on Saturday afternoon and had declared 14 gold biscuits weighing around 1.3 kg to the Customs officials at the BIA Arrival Terminal, the Customs sources said.

When inquired by the Customs officials about his licence to import gold into the country, the passenger had failed to produce one. As a result, the Customs officials took 13 gold biscuits each weighing 100 grams and another weighing 15 grams into custody along with the man for inquiries.

When contacted, newly appointed Customs Spokesperson Director Seevali Arukgoda told the Daily Mirror last evening that it is suspicious why the passenger had declared his gold like that.

To import gold into Sri Lanka a person has to have an Import Control Licence for gold and without possessing a licence one cannot simply bring in gold and just declare it at the Customs.
Mr. Arukgoda said an organised operation of checking all inbound passengers at the BIA Arrival Terminal was underway on Saturday, the whole day by the Customs officials equipped with metal detectors.

The Customs suspect whether the man who originally wanted to smuggle the contraband into the country has had second thoughts about declaring it to the counters instead after noticing the ongoing checking process with metal detectors and before being caught red-handed.

The passenger was produced before the Negombo Magistrate and was ordered to be remanded until the Customs inquiry was over, and the officials continued investigations to determine his true intentions of bringing in gold.

The gold however, would be forfeited as the passenger did not have any import licence, the spokesman further said.