CUSTOMS SEIZE RS.28 MN WORTH FOREIGN CURRENCY

An attempt to smuggle out foreign exchange worth more than Rs.28 million by a man on his way to Singapore was thwarted by Customs officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) yesterday. By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

An attempt to smuggle out foreign exchange worth more than Rs.28 million by a man on his way to Singapore was thwarted by Customs officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) yesterday.

The Customs officials searched the passanger on information received from the Airport and Aviation Security and found the foreign currency carefully concealed under a false bottom of his hand luggage.

Acting Customs Spokesman and Deputy Director, Vipula Minuwanpitiya told Daily Mirror the suspect was bound to Singapore on Srilankan airlines flight UL 308 at 11.15 am.

He said the security scanner operated by the Airport and Aviation Security stationed at the entrance of the departure lounge had shown a secret pocket in the suspect’s baggage but had let the passenger proceed.

They had however alerted the Customs, the next line of defence.

The foreign currency consisted of -- Euro 118, 600, Qatar Riyal 20,000, Swiss Francs 6,000, Danish Kroner 133,000 and Saudi Riyal 23,000 with a estimated value of Rs.28 million.

Mr. Minuwanpitiya said the 25-year-old suspect found to be a resident of Negombo and a cushion repairer by profession. The Customs suspect the man to be a carrier employed to smuggle the currency out of the country and that it did not belong to him.

The investigations are being carried out by Customs Superintendents D.W.K. Wijetunge and I.M. Ismail with Assistant Superintendents D.D.A. Madushanka, T.D.C.L. Sumanaratne, A.S. Rupasinghe, M.I. Yusuf, A.V.P. Nalaka, M.T.I. Umayangani and D.D.N. Silva under the supervision of Deputy Directors O.J. Obeysekara,

P.S. Kiriwaththuduwa and V. Minuwanpitiya and Additional Director General of Customs P.S. Senaratne.

The suspect has been detained for further inquiries and being questioned to determine who had given him the foreign currency.