A 38-year-old businessman from Puttalam was arrested by Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) early yesterday (30) for attempting to smuggle out 75 bottles of foreign liquor worth nearly Rs. 1 million.
The suspect, who was not a passenger, had purchased the liquor from the duty-free shopping complex and packed the bottles into five suitcases. He then tried to exit through the arrivals terminal’s “Green Channel,” which requires no declaration.
PNB officers intercepted him near the airport bank premises at around 2.40 a.m. Investigations later revealed that the suspect had last traveled overseas on 17th of August , 2024.
The arrest follows closely on the heels of a separate incident in which two airport security officers, including an officer from the Sri Lanka Intelligence Unit, were detained for attempting to smuggle out gold biscuits from the airport.
