Two Sri Lankan passengers have been arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake earlier today (19) for illegally smuggling a consignment of foreign-manufactured cigarettes into the country.

The seized consignment of foreign-manufactured cigarettes is estimated to be worth over Rs. 8.4 million.

The arrests were made by officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Airport Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) at the Katunayake Airport.

The suspects have been identified as a 38-year-old man residing in Minuwangoda and a 54-year-old businesswoman from Hettipola, Ada Derana reporter said. 

The first suspect is a former police officer who had previously served at the airport and retired due to an illness. He had arrived at the Katunayake Airport at around 2.13 a.m. today onboard a flight from Sharjah.

He was arrested by CID officers while attempting to flee after abandoning two pieces of luggage near the baggage carousel in the airport's arrival terminal.

A subsequent inspection of the luggage led to the discovery of 178 cartons containing 35,600 sticks of foreign-manufactured cigarettes.

The suspect and the consignment of cigarettes were subsequently handed over to the Katunayake Airport Customs officers for further investigations.

Meanwhile, the 54-year-old businesswoman, who arrived at the Katunayake Airport at around 1.15 a.m. today onboard a flight from Dubai, was also arrested with a consignment of foreign-manufactured cigarettes.

She was apprehended by officers of the Airport Police Narcotics Bureau while attempting to leave the airport with 105 cartons containing 21,000 sticks of cigarettes concealed in her luggage.

The woman has since been released on police bail. She is scheduled to be produced before the Negombo Magistrate's Court on October 27 for further legal proceedings concerning the incident and the consignment of cigarettes found in her possession.