Customs nabs Indian inbound passenger with LKR 7 lakhs

An inbound Indian passenger who had been carrying Sri Lankan currency to the value of Rs.700, 000 in his baggage without declaring it was nabbed by the Customs officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) yesterday.

Customs officials stationed at the BIA arrival terminal apprehended the foreigner when he tried to come out of the airport through the Customs ‘nothing to declare’ Green Channel.

The passenger had come from South India on Spice Jet Flight SG 003 that arrived at the BIA at around 12.45pm yesterday.

The Customs sleuths on suspicion searched the man to find 140 numbers of

Rs.5, 000 notes in his hand luggage, which he had not declared either at his port of embarkation or at disembarkation in Sri Lanka.

Acting Customs Spokesman Deputy Director Vipula Minuwanpitiya told the Daily Mirror that the 37-year-old suspect had come from Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

He said it unusual that the suspect had been trying to bring in such a large quantity of local currency from India, as not many cases such as this had been reported in the past.

As per Customs regulations only Rs.20, 000 LKR is allowed to be carried by a passenger on their travels either outbound or inbound.

Customs Superintendent D. W. K. Wijetunge, Assistant Superintendents S. P. M. R. Silva, H. A. P. N. Gunarathne and M.S .D. S. Weerakkody made the detection on the instructions of Customs Director BIA M A Karunaratne and Deputy Director K. H. P. Kumarasiri.

The Customs inquiry was conducted by Deputy Director Chamika Munmullage who ordered the cash to be forfeited and the suspect released.