Contraband fags destroyed 

By Prabhath Withana

Sri Lanka Customs destroyed around three million foreign cigarettes worth over 75 million rupees on 02 Sept. They had been seized at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) during the first half of this year.

The cigarettes were shredded at the Ceylon Tobacco Company’s Kotahena yard.

The contraband was primarily smuggled in from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, India, Cambodia, and China, often via passengers arriving by air.

Customs spokesman Additional Director General Seevali Arukgoda said that the Border Risk Assessment Centre (BRAC) played a crucial role in identifying these high-risk passengers at the airport.

The cigarettes were forfeited under the Customs Ordinance, and the involved passengers were fined for smuggling. The destruction of the seized goods was conducted under strict regulations to ensure environmental safety and compliance with national laws.

Arukgoda maintained that this operation is part of a broader strategy to combat the illegal tobacco trade, which poses serious health risks and undermines legal market structures. He reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing border security and preventing the influx of prohibited goods into Sri Lanka.

Top officials, including Customs Chief Sarath Nonis, Additional Director Generals Achala Chandrasekara and Seevali Arukgoda, Customs Director Padmini Kumarihami, and CTC CEO Fariya Subani, Deputy CEO Kavinda Nanayakkara, and AIT Manager Amila Madurangana, witnessed the destruction.

The crushed remains of the tobacco would be sent for incineration at the Western Power mega garbage dump at Kerawalapitiya, Customs officials said.