Five suspects, including three employees of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, have been taken into custody in connection with the seizure of a large stock of illegally imported cigarettes valued at around Rs. 330 million.
The arrests were made by officers attached to the Special Investigation Unit of the Excise Department during a raid conducted in the Wellampitiya area.
The Excise Department said that 2,030,000 cigarettes were seized during the operation.
Investigations are continuing to uncover the full network behind the smuggling operation and to identify any additional suspects involved.
