Customs seizes over 700,000 illegally imported cigarettes at Colombo Port

Sri Lanka Customs have seized a large consignment of illegally imported foreign cigarettes.

Customs spokesperson Sivali Arukgoda said that the cigarettes were found hidden in a warehouse within the Colombo Port premises.

The consignment, which contained 713,000 foreign cigarettes valued at over 120 million rupees, was concealed among goods imported from the United Arab Emirates by a company based in Padukka.

Arukgoda explained that the contraband was hidden inside five pallets of hollowed-out 5mm polypropylene corrugated sheets, imported from the UAE to the Padukka company.

The estimated value of cigarettes is Rs. 124,019,554, causing a revenue loss of Rs. 107,985,621 to the state.