A Kenyan has been arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Sri Lanka with cocaine with a street value of sh500million.
The 26-year-old Kenyan had 4 kilograms of cocaine worth approximately Rs. 300 million.
Customs Spokesperson Sivali Arukgoda told News 1st that the suspect arrived in Sri Lanka from Doha.
Arukgoda said the suspect, who had arrived from Ethiopia via Qatar, was arrested Sunday Sep 24 at the arrival terminal of the airport by officers of the Customs Narcotics Control Unit.
He was apprehended based on foreign intelligence and has been handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau for further investigation.
In footage provided by the custom officers, the suspect hid the drugs in bisuit tins .
Customs said that 180 capsules of cocaine were found concealed inside three metal cookie tins inside his hand luggage.
The SriLankamirror in a published article says he was attempting to exit through the ‘Green Channel’ at the airport according to intelligence received by the Sri Lanka Customs narcotics control unit.
The arrested Kenyan has been handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officers at the BIA along with the haul of drugs for further investigations.
Here's how tough drug laws are in Sri Lanka:
Sri Lankan law criminalises not only trafficking but also possession of drugs. The sentence varies depending on the quantity of drugs that are in your possession.
If the police find a person in possession of narcotics of less than one gram and the person agrees to go to rehabilitation, the person will be sent to a rehabilitation centre by a judge.
If the individual possesses more than one gram, they will be sent to a remand prison until a government analyst issues a toxicology report on the exact quantity of pure drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, in their possession.
If it is more than two grams, the person — if convicted — will be sentenced to death and held on death row, given the existence of a moratorium.
What we know about the dismembered bodies found in Kware