Stock of beedi leaves worth Rs. 9 mn seized

A stock of Beedi leaves smuggled into the country from India by sea was seized in transit and five suspects arrested in the early hours of yesterday by the Kalpitiya police during a raid conducted at Nachchikalli.

The Kalptiya Police said the market value of the stock of beedi leaves which weighed 705 kilogrammes was in the region of Rs. 9 million.

Investigations revealed that the suspects were attempting to hand the stock of contraband over to a beedi manufacturing company through a racketeer. The suspects were residents of Mannar, Kandakuliya and Kalpitiya areas. OIC Kalpitiya Police IP Laxman Ranwala Arachchi said the suspect would be produced before the Puttalam magistrate on the charge of violating the Customs Ordinance.

OIC Laxman Ranwala Arachchi, PCS 37654 Panabokke, 69709 Attanayake, 69736 Sanjeewa, 91031 Udara and 89977 Molagoda carried out the raid.