Customs detect consignment of stimulant drug

The Customs had seized a consignment of a stimulant drug known as Khat, that had arrived into the country by an air-cargo and was destined to be re-exported via parcel posts to European countries as Sri Lanka Herbal Tea, a Senior Customs official said. He said the drug had arrived from Ethiopia under the guise of Moringa leaves. The Khat drug had been re-exported to European countries such as the UK and US in the form of Herbal Tea from Sri Lanka.

“The smugglers had used the Customs Green Channel facility, which is used to send our tea products to European countries,” the official said.

“At the Green Channel facility, no examinations were done as Sri Lankan tea products are certified as high quality products. The facility was given by those countries for easy exporting purposes,” he said. The official said the racket had been going on since 2015 and the first detection was made in mid 2017s.

“After the first raid was done the airport drug control unit revealed the Khat was brought in as Moringa leaves and the Plant Quarantine Service had also certified the drug leaves as Moringa leaves and released,” the official said.

“Later, samples were sent to laboratories and alerted them to completely stop the drug coming into the country as it was prohibited under the international laws,” he said. “Most of these types of drugs are brought in by air-cargo and by post as parcels,” he said.

“About 174 kilograms of Khat leaves were detected that had come via post. Those detections had helped to stop the drug completely,” he said.

“As Customs, we have done a silent service to protect our tea market and the incident was kept secret because it was a new drug to the country,” the Senior Customs official added.

Later, samples were sent to laboratories and alerted them to completely stop the drug coming into the country as it was prohibited under the international laws,” he said. “Most of these types of drugs are brought in by aircargo and by post as parcels