Sri Lanka Customs nabs Malaysian with $812K in Cocaine at Colombo Airport

Sri Lankan Customs authorities have detained a Malaysian national at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake for allegedly attempting to smuggle a large consignment of cocaine. The arrest was confirmed earlier today by official sources, with initial reports placing the street value of the confiscated narcotic at approximately Rs. 250 million (approximately $812,000 USD at current exchange rates).

The suspect, whose identity has not yet been released by authorities, was intercepted upon arrival at the main international gateway. Officials from the Customs Narcotics Control Unit, acting on intelligence, reportedly found the illicit drug concealed within the passenger’s checked luggage. According to a statement cited by news outlets including Daily Mirror, the suspect was taken into custody immediately, and the drugs were seized. The case has since been handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) for further comprehensive investigation and legal proceedings, as is standard protocol in high-value narcotics arrests. This incident is seen by security analysts as a crucial win for Sri Lanka Customs, which has been intensifying its surveillance and screening measures at BIA in recent months to curb the use of the island nation as a transit point for drug syndicates operating across Asia and the Middle East. The sheer volume and estimated value of the seizure underscore the persistent efforts by international networks to exploit air travel routes into South Asia. The arrest follows a major nationwide anti-narcotics operation dubbed “A Nation United,” which resulted in over 1,000 arrests across the island, demonstrating the government’s renewed focus on disrupting the domestic and international narcotics trade, according to reports from police sources. The arrested Malaysian national is expected to be presented before the Negombo Magistrate’s Court shortly.