Businessmen arrested for smuggling anthurium plants

COLOMBO (News 1st); A businessman who had smuggled around Rs. 500,000 worth of anthurium plants into the country from Thailand was arrested by the Customs at the Katunayake Airport Arrivals Terminal yesterday (30), the Customs Spokesperson, Deputy Director (Legal Affairs) Sudaththa Silva states.

The suspect, identified as a well known florist in Gampaha, arrived at the Katunayake Airport on 30th March at 11.40 p.m. from Bangkok, Thailand on a SriLankan Airlines flight UL-403.

Significantly, this is the first flight between Thailand and Sri Lanka to land at the Katunayake International Airport.

The suspect had packed 200 anthurium plants in his two suitcases and concealed them.

The businessman had tried to smuggle the anthurium plants, a plant which is currently banned from being imported to Sri Lanka under the Wildlife and Flora Ordinance of Sri Lanka, without declaring it to customs.

The arrest was made by a team of Customs Day staff at the Katunayake Airport.