Sri Lanka Customs intercepted a haul of foreign cigarettes valued at approximately Rs. 4.3 million from a Chinese woman arriving from Kuala Lumpur. Customs Spokesperson Sivali Arukgoda reported that 146 cartons, containing nearly 29,200 individual cigarettes, were seized from the woman who arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport on flight MH0179.

The government stands to lose substantial revenue of Rs. 3.3 million due to the illegal importation of these cigarettes. Importing cigarettes into Sri Lanka without a valid license is illegal, and the contraband was confiscated in accordance with the Customs Ordinance. The Chinese national was released after paying a fine of Rs. 100,000.