By Roy Denish
A South Korean cocaine arrest at BIA follows the arrival of a delayed suitcase allegedly containing narcotics valued at Rs. 49.44 million.
COLOMBO – A 64-year-old South Korean national has been arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake after allegedly attempting to collect a suitcase containing cocaine valued at approximately Rs. 49.44 million.
The suspect, identified as a carpenter by profession, was taken into custody by officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) on Sunday (1 November).
According to police reports, the arrest followed information received by the Inspector General of Police concerning a suspected narcotics consignment arriving at the airport.
Investigations revealed that the suspect had travelled from Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, to Dubai on 26 October before boarding a connecting flight to Sri Lanka.
However, the suitcase containing the suspected narcotics was not loaded onto the same aircraft as the passenger.
Instead, the luggage was transported to Bandaranaike International Airport on a subsequent flight.
Authorities reportedly monitored the situation before apprehending the suspect when he arrived at the airport to collect the delayed suitcase.
The cocaine recovered from the luggage has an estimated street value of Rs. 49.44 million.
Police are continuing their investigations into the origin of the consignment, its intended destination and whether other individuals were involved in the alleged trafficking operation.
