Customs: Cocaine container came from Panma

It has now been revealed that the freight container with 350 kilos of cocaine detected at the Colombo Port was shipped from Panama.

Customs Deputy Director (Legal) and media spokesman Sudatta Silva told journalists that the street value of the haul was Rs. 6 billion.

The container was destined for India. It had reached Belgium and then Dubai before arriving in Sri Lanka, he said.

However, the shipment was halted and searched in Sri Lanka by the Port Control Unit of the Customs, following a tip-off received from the customs intelligence unit, Silva said.

The goods in the containers were declared as scrap metal.

The stock of cocaine was handed over to the Police Narcotic Bureau.