• From couriers to online marketplaces, illegal supply chains are evolving 
• New invasive species already detected in several districts
• Experts warn ornamental species often carry pests impossible to remove
• Weak enforcement, ageing regulations struggle to match modern trade

Two suspects were arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), the island’s main entry point, last week for allegedly attempting to smuggle 436 Anthurium plants into Sri Lanka from Thailand. 

Officials from the Customs Narcotics Control Unit and the Biodiversity, Cultural, and National Heritage Protection Division discovered the plants concealed inside their luggage, in a case authorities say highlights a broader trend of illegal imports of exotic plants and animals.

Recent incidents suggest that such smuggling is not isolated. In May 2025, three passengers arriving from Bangkok were arrested with a consignment of aquatic animals, including fish, snails, and pig-nosed tortoises, many of which officials warned could have devastated endemic aquatic species if released.

Investigators believe the latest Anthurium case also reflects changing smuggling techniques, including concealment strategies and attempts to bypass routine Green Channel inspections. 

Against this backdrop, biodiversity and agriculture experts warn that illegal imports are no longer simply a Customs offence but an escalating ecological and food security threat with long-term consequences for Sri Lanka’s ecosystems and farming systems.

Exploiting gaps

According to biodiversity expert and former Deputy Director of Sri Lanka Customs Dr. Samantha Gunasekara, the pathways used to bring invasive species into the country follow identifiable patterns that exploit gaps in enforcement and modern trade systems. 

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, he said that many aquatic and ornamental plants were already prohibited under Sri Lanka’s plant protection regulations, which date back to 1981. Yet despite clear restrictions, smuggling methods continue to evolve.

“Many are completely prohibited,” he said. “But they bypass this in several ways.” 

Some travellers carry plants by hand through ports of entry, while others hide them within cargo shipments. However, he noted that the most difficult route to monitor today involved courier services. 

“Seeds are being brought through couriers now,” he noted, explaining that their size allowed them to pass with little suspicion. Even where inspection systems exist, the volume of small parcels makes monitoring extremely challenging.

Dr. Gunasekara observed that social media had further accelerated the problem. Exotic plants and animals are openly advertised through online groups and marketplace pages, linking demand directly to illegal supply. “These are advertised openly,” he said, pointing out that many buyers had little awareness of the ecological risks. 

He cited Diyatha Uyana in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte as a visible example where introduced aquatic species were already spreading. Similar patterns, he added, were now emerging in Kurunegala, Gampaha, and parts of the Northern Province.

Aquatic plants among most dangerous

Dr. Gunasekara said that aquatic plants remained among the most dangerous invasive threats because of how rapidly they spread.

“It is very dangerous when they enter the water,” he said, explaining that unlike terrestrial plants, many aquatic species regenerated from tiny fragments, allowing a single piece carried by water currents to establish a new population.

He referred to long-standing invasive species such as water hyacinth (‘Japan jabara’) and Salvinia, both of which have clogged waterways and imposed heavy economic costs on irrigation and water management. 

New species of genera such as Cabomba and Ludwigia, as well as other varieties including giant Vallisneria and giant Hydrilla, are already appearing in dry-zone districts such as Kurunegala and Anuradhapura and in parts of the hill country. Decorative aquarium plants, including species from the Alternanthera genus, are also spreading into reservoirs and irrigation tanks. 

Once established, eradication becomes almost impossible, leaving authorities to manage long-term ecological and financial consequences.

Food security at risk

University of Peradeniya (UOP) Faculty of Agriculture Department of Crop Science Senior Professor Buddhi Marambe, who is also Chairman of the National Invasive Species Specialist Group (NISSG) as well as a former Chairman and member of the National Expert Committee on Climate Change Adaptation (NECCCA) of the Ministry of Environment, said that invasive species posed direct risks to national food security when plants entered the country without proper investigation or regulation. 

“When plants enter the country without any regulation or investigation, they often become invasive,” he said, explaining that alien species – those introduced from outside Sri Lanka – often lacked natural enemies in new environments, allowing populations to grow rapidly. 

In agricultural systems, these species behave as weeds and compete directly with crops. “When new weeds arrive, they compete with crops,” he said. “Furthermore, a new plant species might harbour pests or diseases that can easily spread through the cropping system.”

According to Prof. Marambe, competition with crops and the introduction of pests and diseases are among the primary ways illegal imports threaten food security. He noted that invasive species often took time to become established, sometimes months or decades, before their effects became visible. Aquatic ecosystems provide clear examples. 

Water hyacinth, he said, was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1905 to the Royal Botanic Gardens because of its attractive flowers. The species, brought by Lady Blake, wife of the Governor at the time, spread rapidly after people transferred fragments into local waterways. Just a few years later, authorities were forced to introduce the Water Hyacinth Ordinance to control its spread. 

Salvinia entered in 1939, and both species remain among the most widespread aquatic weeds today.

Invasive animal species

Invasive species also include animals. While plants often arrive through ornamental horticulture, animals frequently enter through the pet and aquarium trade. 

Prof. Marambe pointed to sucker fish marketed as tank cleaners. As they grow larger, owners often release them into reservoirs, believing they are harmless. “These fish often eat the food meant for other fish rather than just cleaning the tank,” he said. “When they grow too large, owners release them into reservoirs, creating serious ecological problems.” 

He cited the Polgolla Reservoir as an example where sucker fish have displaced endemic species and damaged aquatic habitats.

Climate change, he added, was worsening the situation. Rising temperatures create ideal conditions for tropical species and accelerate growth and germination rates, allowing opportunistic species to spread faster. 

“If a species is brought from a warm climate to Sri Lanka, it finds an ideal match,” he said.

Hidden disease pathways

Dr. Gunasekara stated that the illegal ornamental plant trade carried risks beyond visible ecological damage, including the spread of pests and diseases.

Anthurium plants are one example. While tissue-culture varieties grown under controlled conditions may be permitted, entire plants with underground stems remain restricted because of pathogens they may carry. 

According to Dr. Gunasekara, illegal imports of ornamental plants such as Anthurium can introduce pests and diseases that move beyond gardens into agricultural ecosystems, posing risks to crops and long-term food production. “The stem carries nematodes that cannot be removed,” he said. “Even through quarantine, you cannot clean them.”

Despite this, whole plants are brought into the country and sold openly.

He pointed to Sri Lanka’s orchid industry, once a regional leader dating back to 1942, which he said had suffered due to smuggled imports.

According to him, cheap imported plants undercut local growers and tissue-culture laboratories, while pests such as red mites and soft scales spread through unregulated imports, creating ecological, economic, and foreign exchange losses simultaneously.

Laws exist, but need strengthening

Both experts agreed that Sri Lanka had legal and policy frameworks to regulate invasive species but they differed on whether those systems were adequate for present-day risks. 

Dr. Gunasekara argued that the regulatory structure was outdated. Plant protection regulations introduced in 1981 remain the primary tools used for quarantine and import control. “The regulations from 1981 are still what we are using,” he said, adding that although updates had been proposed, many had never been enacted into law.

He warned that today’s risks shaped by online trade, global courier networks, and high-volume ornamental imports move faster than the legal framework designed decades ago. “The pathogens, pests, and plants have all changed,” he said. 

A proposed Invasive Species Act, drafted with the Ministry of Environment to address such gaps, has not progressed. “I was involved in drafting it,” he said. “It has just been sitting there. 

Prof. Marambe, however, stressed that Sri Lanka already had several mechanisms in place. The National Policy on Invasive Alien Species in Sri Lanka – Strategies and Action Plan was adopted in 2016, and risk assessments are conducted by the Ministry of Environment’s NISSG. Based on those assessments, the Director General of Agriculture decides whether permits are granted, restricted, or denied, with similar procedures applying to animals. 

At the same time, he noted that policy alone was not sufficient without stronger legislative backing. While the national policy provides direction, it requires stronger legal authority and enforcement powers.

He also pointed out that the Plant Protection Act primarily targeted agricultural damage, while invasive species increasingly threatened biodiversity and natural ecosystems beyond farmland. 

Dr. Gunasekara agreed that enforcement remained the weakest link. “Enforcement and inspection are extremely weak,” he said, alleging that limited capacity and corruption undermined quarantine controls. “We have quarantine regulations, but they are extremely weak. Corruption is the main weakness.”

Both experts said that Sri Lanka’s current response remained constrained by ageing regulations, limited enforcement capacity, and the absence of a dedicated law capable of addressing invasive species threats across ecosystems.

They warned that the cost of delayed reform may ultimately be measured not only in lost biodiversity, but in agricultural productivity, food security, and long-term economic stability.

Transit hub for wildlife trafficking

Dr. Gunasekara also warned that Sri Lanka was not only facing the threat of illegal plant imports, but was increasingly becoming a transit hub for regional wildlife trafficking.

He described a growing pattern of what he termed “trans-smuggling,” where animals were not necessarily brought into the country for local sale, but were routed through Sri Lanka before being illegally transported to destinations such as India and Bangladesh. Reptiles, including star tortoises and other protected species, are among the animals most frequently involved in such operations.

According to him, a major weakness lies in maritime enforcement. He said that Customs previously possessed vessels capable of conducting surveillance and interception operations at sea, but those boats were no longer available, significantly weakening the department’s operational capacity.

As a result, Customs’ ability to conduct ocean-based monitoring and interdiction has been effectively crippled. Without dedicated vessels, enforcement authorities are unable to adequately patrol coastal waters or intercept suspicious maritime movements.

While the Sri Lanka Coast Guard remains aware of regional smuggling activity, Dr. Gunasekara noted that the absence of fully functioning Customs-led surveillance operations had created enforcement gaps. These gaps, he warned, made it easier for traffickers to move animals through ports and shipping routes without detection.

He stressed that unless maritime enforcement capacity was restored, Sri Lanka risked further entrenching its position as a regional transit point for illegal wildlife trade.