A 28-year-old businessman has been arrested by Airport Customs officers for allegedly attempting to smuggle foreign-manufactured cigarettes worth approximately Rs. 7.02 million into Sri Lanka through the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

The Colombo resident had arrived from Dubai on the evening of November 10.

Customs officers discovered 46,800 cigarettes packed in 234 cartons concealed inside two pieces of luggage during an inspection.

The suspect is currently in Customs custody as further investigations continue.