Woman arrested with cigarettes valued Rs.3.58Mn at BIA

By T.K.G. Kapila   

A consignment of foreign cigarettes smuggled into the  country was seized, and a woman was arrested by the Police Anti-Narcotics  Bureau officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport last morning.    Investigations revealed that the 37-year-old woman  was a resident of Potuhera whose husband was employed in Dubai. The suspect  who had been on a visit to Dubai arrived in the country yesterday  morning.    Police said she had in her bags and baggage 35,860 sticks  of cigarettes of foreign brands prohibited in Sri Lanka, which she  attempted to smuggle into the country. They said the trade value of the  consignment of contraband cigarettes could have been about Rs. 3.58  million.    She was released on police bail and ordered to appear before the Negombo Magistrate on June 12.