SL used both as transit and manufacturer of gold biscuits
BY Dinitha Rathnayake As per the Sri Lanka Customs, there has been a rising trend in gold being smuggled into the country, especially from India, with the involvement of both Sri Lankans and Indians.Speaking to The Morning, Customs Spokesman Sudattha Silva said that most smugglers who arrive in Sri Lanka are from India.“Therefore, we are in the process of strengthening regulations related to gold smuggling, since many incidents in this regard have been reported recently.”According to Silva, eight incidents relating to gold smuggling were reported within the course of a month, in which Sri Lankans and Indians were involved.Some Indian gold smugglers use Sri Lanka for transit purposes, as the demand for gold and its price increase.Meanwhile, officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake recently arrested a Sri Lankan couple who were attempting to smuggle a stock of gold jewellery worth Rs. 12 million. The married couple of 35 years of age were residents of Wellampitiya. The Customs officials said that the stock of jewellery was hidden inside the clothes they were wearing. Customs officers at the BIA have commenced further investigations concerning the same.Police Media Spokesman, Senior Superintendent of Police, and Attorney Nihal Thalduwa, speaking to The Morning, also said that certain gold smugglers make gold biscuits after smuggling the gold into the country.
