Cocaine and Kush worth over Rs. 60 mn seized, two including Customs officer held

Sri Lanka Customs have seized a parcel containing ‘Kush’ cannabis and cocaine, estimated to be worth over Rs 60 million, which had been sent to Sri Lanka from America via a courier service.

The narcotics were found concealed inside sealed cans of food items in the parcel by officers of the Sri Lanka Customs Revenue Inspection Unit.

Accordingly, the parcel had contained over 500 grams of cocaine, and 5.16 kilograms of marijuana, Sri Lanka Customs reported, adding that the stock of narcotics has an estimated street value of Rs. 66,940,000.

Two persons, including an Assistant Superintendent of Customs, have been arrested in connection with the detection.

The first arrestee has been identified as a 46-year-old resident of Wellamptiya, who had come to collect the relevant parcel on behalf of its intended recipient, a woman residing in the Gampaha area.

During his questioning, however, the arrestee had revealed that an Assistant Superintendent of Customs, who was reportedly assigned for duty at the courier company in question, had also been involved in the racket.

The officer in question was subsequently arrested for further investigations, following which the stock of narcotics and the two suspects were handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) for onward legal action.