Customs seizes Rs 85 Mn worth illicit fags from China

By Prabhath Withana

Sri Lanka Customs seized 85 million rupees worth 55,600 cigarette cartons stacked in a container at the Orugodawatte Cargo Verification Terminal (CVT) yard on Thursday.

Finance State Minister Dr. Ranjith Siambalapitiya said that if this cigarette consignment was not detected by the Customs officers, the tax revenue loss to the government would have exceeded Rs.750 million.

Customs Spokesman Sudaththa Silva said these cigarettes have been imported from China under the guise of an institution approved by the Sri Lanka Board of Investment.Apart from this, the Customs have also succeeded in arresting five vehicles that were brought to Sri Lanka with illegal valuables hidden very meticulously.