News
Container declared as office furniture turns out to be Rs 435 bn worth of cigarettes
Customs officials took into custody a haul of foreign cigarettes worth over Rs 435 billion while they were being smuggled into the country at the Orugodawatta cargo inspection division.
The cigarettes were found inside a 20-foot container that had been brought into the country from the Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates.
Customs spokesman Additional Customs Director General Sivali Arukgoda said that Customs officers found 2.5 million cigarettes in the container.
The Customs had received information that office furniture was being imported, and upon inspection, it was revealed that cigarettes had been smuggled in illegally.
Arukgoda stated that if these cigarettes had made it past Customs, a significant loss of over Rs. 378 million in duty revenue would have occurred.
Regarding the smuggling of these cigarettes, Arukgoda mentioned that, after taking a statement from a vape clerk, Customs officials are taking steps to apprehend the individual responsible for smuggling this illegal consignment of cigarettes into the country.
Under the supervision of Customs Director General Sarath Nonis, the Customs Revenue Department’s Director Tilak Suraviira, Senior Deputy Director Tissa Dahanayake, Deputy Customs Directors Upul Gonawala, S. Sandagopan, Akila Rupasinghe, Sandun Batagoda, Anushka Kure, and Rakhitha Ariyasena will conduct further investigations.
By Prabhath Withana
Following the conclusion of bilateral discussions between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, official-level talks between the delegations of Sri Lanka and India commenced this morning (05) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath; Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Anil Jayantha; Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, along with other senior officials.
The Indian delegation included Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and His Excellency Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, along with several other senior officials of the Government of India.
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who arrived in Sri Lanka on the invitation of President Anura Kumara Disanayake on Friday [04] night, visited the Presidential Secretariat this morning (05).
The Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake upon his arrival at the Presidential Secretariat.
Prime Minister Modi is currently on a state visit to Sri Lanka, reaffirming the theme “Friendship of Centuries — Commitment to a Prosperous Future” which symbolises the longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and India. The Indian Premier is scheduled to remain in the country until tomorrow (06).
[PMD]
The official welcoming ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was held this morning (05) at the Independence Square in Colombo.
On arrival at the Independence Square the Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake.
Discussions between Sri Lankan and Indian delegations at the presidential secretariat
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Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi arrives at the presidential secretariat
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