Rs. 600 million cigarette haul in Sedawatta: two arrested

Police have seized a container holding about 5.7 million illegal cigarettes, worth more than Rs. 600 million, at a private container yard in Sedawatta, and arrested two suspects.

The raid was carried out on Tuesday, 10 November, by officers of the Western Province North Crimes Division.

The container had been imported from Dubai. Police found that it held cigarettes of the Manchester brand, with an estimated market value above Rs. 600 million.

Two suspects, residents of Ja-Ela and Katugastota, were arrested in connection with the seizure. They were due to be produced before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 11 November.

The raid was carried out by Investigation Team II of the Division. It was conducted under the guidance of the Division’s Director, Assistant Superintendent of Police Indika Dharmaratne, and the supervision of Police Inspector Pathum Anjana.

Police have not said who the container was consigned to. The suspects are accused only in connection with the seizure, and no finding of guilt has been made.

Background

Sedawatta is in the Colombo District of the Western Province and lies close to the Colombo port area, where many private container yards operate. Containers imported through the port are normally cleared by Sri Lanka Customs before they leave for a yard.

Cigarettes are heavily taxed in Sri Lanka, and the sale of tobacco products is regulated by law. Illegal or smuggled cigarettes avoid some or all of those taxes, which means the state loses revenue when they enter the market.

The seizure was made by the Western Province North Crimes Division, a unit of the Sri Lanka Police that handles crime investigations in the northern part of the Western Province.

What it means

The case will now go through the courts. The Magistrate will decide what happens to the two suspects and to the seized container as the investigation continues.

For consumers, cigarettes sold outside the legal supply chain are not subject to the same checks on labelling and tax payment. Buyers have no way of knowing where such products came from.