Customs bust smuggled turmeric worth Rs 19 million

COLOMBO (News1st): Sri Lanka's customs department has seized dried turmeric worth Rs 19 million smuggled into the country from Dubai, officials said Monday. The contraband weighing 25,450 kilos had been concealed among fresh onions in four containers, the department said in a statement. "With the slash of the import tax for onions down to 25 cents a kilo, smugglers are attempting to smuggle in other commodities by concealing them among onion consignments," the statement noted. It added that the importer had paid a total levy of Rs 26,880 for the imported consignments, although the levy should have stood at Rs 2.5 million if turmeric imports were permitted. Sri Lanka has banned the import of turmeric citing it as a move to boost local production.