Sri Lanka Customs officials have seized 3,380,000 illegally imported foreign cigarette sticks during an inspection of a container brought into the country.
The container, which arrived from Dubai in November 2025, had been flagged as suspicious and was examined by customs officers. Investigations revealed that the consignment had been falsely declared as “bed linen” in official documents.
According to Sri Lanka Customs, the total value of the seized cigarettes is estimated at Rs. 507 million.
The government is also believed to have lost approximately Rs. 460 million in tax revenue due to the importation of the stock of cigarettes.
Further inquiries have uncovered that the container was addressed to a private company located in Battaramulla.
