Customs seizes Rs. 30 m worth mobile phones and tablets at BIA

Saturday, 26 April 2025 01:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka Customs officials yesterday seized a stock of 228 brand-new mobile phones and tablet computers, valued around Rs. 30 million at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake.

The electronic devices, packed inside two suitcases, were discovered abandoned at the airport’s duty-free shopping complex.

According to Customs officials, the items had been brought into the country by a passenger who had arrived from Dubai onboard a SriLankan Airlines flight. Realising the difficulty of clearing the goods through Customs, the passenger is believed to have left the suitcases in the duty-free area.

Customs officers launched an immediate investigation and are making efforts to identify the passenger by reviewing airport security camera footage.

Further investigations into the incident are currently being carried out by Customs officials at Katunayake Airport.