The Customs Narcotics Control Division has intercepted a consignment of cocaine valued at twenty-three crore rupees. The drugs had been concealed within the outer covers of eight children’s story books with large English letters, designed for young readers.
The arrest was made during the attempted import of the concealed drugs into Sri Lanka by a 42-year-old Indonesian woman. It has been revealed, through preliminary customs investigations, that this was her first visit to Sri Lanka, and she is engaged in the textile trade in her home country.
The woman commenced her journey in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and transited through Doha, Qatar, while in possession of this drug stock. She meticulously prepared the covers of thick English children’s story books to conceal the contraband within her luggage. The total weight of the cocaine discovered was 598 grams, concealed within the book covers, and an additional 4 kilograms of the drug was seized.
