Spanish national arrested with cocaine worth nearly Rs. 110 million

Sri Lanka Customs arrested a 79-year-old Spanish national, on Friday, after officers found 2.198 kilograms of cocaine concealed in his luggage at Bandaranaike International Airport.

Customs officials estimated the drugs had a street value of about Rs. 109.9 million.

The suspect, an agricultural engineer, arrived in Sri Lanka on July 22 from Sierra Leone via Addis Ababa and Doha on Qatar Airways flight QR 654, officials said.

Officers from the Customs Narcotics Control Unit initially searched his hand luggage but found no suspicious substances. One of his suitcases had failed to arrive on the same flight, and authorities allowed him to leave the airport after completing the required formalities.

The suspect returned to the airport at about 6.30 p.m. on Friday to collect the delayed suitcase.

Customs officers conducted a detailed inspection after an X-ray scan revealed suspicious contents. They found four packages of cocaine concealed inside two file holders in the suitcase.

Sri Lanka Customs has begun preliminary investigations and will hand over the suspect and the seized drugs to the Police Narcotics Bureau for further investigation and legal action.