Six including Indian arrested at BIA over attempt to smuggle foreign liquor, cigarettes

Six passengers including an Indian national have been arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) with undeclared goods including 159 bottles of foreign liquor and a haul of foreign cigarettes. 

Acting on a tip-off received by officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the airport, five male suspects and a female suspect were arrested at the arrival terminal.

They had allegedly attempted to smuggle into the country 159 bottles of foreign liquor, 175 packets of foreign cigarettes, ready-made clothing, and a large quantity of non-gold accessories.

The arrested male suspects are aged 24, 41, 52, 53, and 70 and are residents of Wattala, Kotagala and Colombo 13 areas while one of the suspects is an Indian national, police said. 

Meanwhile, the female suspect is a 48-year-old resident of the Colombo 15 area.

The CID unit at the BIA is conducting further investigations into the incident.