Two female passengers originating from the Republic of Guinea were apprehended by Sri Lankan Customs officials this morning upon their attempt to enter the country with swallowed cocaine valued at Rs. 20 million.
Customs Narcotic Control Unit officers stationed at Bandaranaike International Airport's Arrival Terminal detained the suspects after suspicion arose during questioning. It was revealed that the women had ingested capsules containing cocaine.
Senior Director Seevali Arukgoda, Customs Spokesman, confirmed the retrieval of 29 and 11 cocaine-filled capsules from the 42 and 40-year-old suspects respectively.
The individuals, having traveled from Sierra Leone via Istanbul, Turkey on Turkish Airlines flight TK 730, were found with a total of 500 grams of cocaine. With a current street value of Rs. 40,000 per gram in Sri Lanka, the seized narcotics are estimated to be worth over Rs. 20 million.
