Eighteen passengers have been arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for attempting to smuggle foreign-made cigarettes worth Rs. 31.38mn.

The suspects include 16 Chinese nationals and two Sri Lankans, who arrived on flights from Dubai and Kuala Lumpur today (30).

Customs officers recovered 1,046 cartons containing 209,200 cigarettes hidden in 27 pieces of luggage.

The arrests were made by Sri Lanka Customs, and investigations are ongoing.