Customs Arrests Businessman at BIA for Smuggling Ornamental Plants Valued at Rs. 775,000

A 40-year-old Sri Lankan businessman from Veyangoda was arrested by Customs officers at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in the early hours of April 11. He was apprehended while attempting to exit through the Green Channel after arriving from Bangalore, India, at 12:45 a.m. Customs officials discovered 229 ornamental plants concealed in his luggage. The smuggled plants are estimated to be valued at approximately Rs. 775,000. This act constitutes a violation of Sri Lanka's Wildlife and Flora Ordinance and the Plant Quarantine Act, as the plants were brought into the country without proper authorization.