The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today said that the Sri Lankan national arrested at Malpensa Airport in Milan for allegedly trying to smuggle four youths into Italy is not presently at employed at any Sri Lanka Mission abroad or at the foreign ministry.
Issuing a statement today (18), the ministry said that on receipt of media reports from Italy regarding the arrest of a Sri Lankan with a Diplomatic Passport on the aforementioned charges, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had initiated immediate inquiries to ascertain the veracity of this information.
Accordingly, the Officials of the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Milan have met the person arrested and have established his identity, the ministry said.
“It has been confirmed that the arrested person is not at present employed at any Sri Lanka Mission abroad or at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The person concerned does not hold a valid Diplomatic Passport and has travelled to Italy on an Official Passport issued to him on the basis of his employment in a government agency in Sri Lanka.”
It has also been established that this person had held a diplomatic assignment abroad on contract from 2012-2015 and was in possession of a Diplomatic Passport that had been cancelled, upon completion of his contract, the statement said.
