The Narcotics Control Unit of Sri Lanka Customs has arrested a Spanish national in possession of a consignment of cocaine with an estimated street value of nearly Rs. 110 million.

The suspect has been identified as a 79-year-old who is employed as an agricultural engineer, officials said.

According to Customs officials, the suspect had arrived in Sri Lanka on July 22 from Sierra Leone via Addis Ababa and Doha on Qatar Airways flight QR 654.

The Narcotics Control Unit said Customs officials initially conducted an inspection of the suspect's hand luggage but found no suspicious substances.

However, as one of his suitcases had not arrived on the same flight, the suspect was allowed to leave the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) after completing the required arrival formalities.

The delayed suitcase was subsequently transported to Sri Lanka, and the suspect returned to the BIA arrival terminal at around 6.30 p.m. yesterday (24) to collect it.

Before releasing the luggage, officers of the Customs Narcotics Control Unit carried out a comprehensive physical inspection after X-ray screening detected suspicious contents.

During the inspection, officers discovered four packages of cocaine carefully concealed inside two file holders in the suitcase.

The seized cocaine weighed 2.198 kilograms, with an estimated gross street value of approximately Rs. 109.9 million.

Sri Lanka Customs has launched preliminary investigations into the incident. 

The suspect and the seized cocaine are scheduled to be handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) for further investigations and legal action.