Couple reportedly ignored qurantine procedures last year too

Sarrah Alduaij and Ibrahim Alfraih visited Sri Lanka on October 27, 2017, with Bella and ignored quarantine procedures, walking out of the airport with the dog, the Sunday Times learns.

A complaint was lodged by the Quarantine Unit and a police investigation had been launched. But there had been a delay in the probe and they had left the country with the pet, only to return and disregard procedures again.

At the time, the couple had come up to the Quarantine Unit at the BIA but without stepping inside, had pushed two officials and hastened through Customs, once again exposing glaring shortcomings in procedures.

Customs officials said that a police officer who handled the previous investigation--Inspector of Police Fernando--was seen in civvies at the site of the incident on July 27. He later returned in uniform, they claimed, adding that he was heard addressing Mr Alfraih as “sir” and conversing with him in Sinhala.

Quarantine officers have no enforcement powers. And there are only a few of them to stop pathogens from entering the country. Customs intervenes in some cases. Meanwhile, some foreign nationals bypass quarantine altogether.

Seven policemen were sent to the site of the incident last week, said Acting OIC of Airport Police IP Anusha Rupasinghe. Among them was IP Fernando. When contacted, IP Fernando denied supporting the couple but acknowledged he handled the earlier case. He said he had documents to prove the case was withdrawn by the Quarantine Unit at BIA.