Two women who illegally brought a consignment of anthurium plants into Sri Lanka from Bangkok, Thailand, were arrested by Customs officers at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake, this morning.
The arrest was made by officers of the Narcotics Control Division and the Biodiversity, Cultural and National Heritage Protection Division of Sri Lanka Customs, together with Airport Customs officers.
The two women had arrived from Bangkok carrying about 436 anthurium plants in their hand luggage. They did not have the required import permits from the Department of Agriculture or the necessary quarantine clearance.
One of the suspects is a 45-year-old woman from Colombo, and the other is a 40-year-old woman from Awissawella
Customs stated that the plants were brought in violation of the Plant Quarantine Act and the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance. The two women are currently in the custody of Customs officers at Katunayake Airport for further investigations.
