Colombo, Dec 18: Sri Lankan authorities have arrested five individuals, including three employees of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, in connection with a large-scale cigarette smuggling operation, officials said on Wednesday.
The suspects were taken into custody during a targeted raid carried out in the Wellampitiya area by officers of the Special Investigation Unit of the Excise Department. During the operation, authorities seized approximately 2.03 million illegally imported cigarettes, with an estimated market value of Rs. 330 million.
According to the Excise Department, preliminary investigations indicate that the consignment had been smuggled into the country in violation of excise and customs regulations. Officials said the seizure marks a significant enforcement action against illicit tobacco trade in the Colombo district.
Authorities have launched further investigations to trace the wider network involved in the smuggling operation and to identify additional individuals connected to the case.
