Colombo, Oct. 19 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka Customs officers have seized narcotics worth approximately Rs. 67.53 million from 11 foreign postal parcels at the Central Mail Exchange in Colombo.
The seized drugs included more than 3.1 kilogrammes of Kush Cannabis, 2,395 grammes of MDMA (Ecstasy) pills and 33 grammes of Mandy, which had been concealed in parcels sent from eight countries.
According to Sri Lanka Customs, the parcels were identified over the past few months during routine inspections of incoming international mail by officers of the Narcotics Control Unit (NCU).
The suspicious parcels were detained pending collection by their intended recipients. As the recipients failed to collect them within the stipulated period, Customs officers arranged to examine the parcels in the presence of the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB).
The detailed examination was carried out on October 19 by NCU officers together with PNB representatives.
The parcels had been sent from Thailand, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany.
More than 3.1 kilogrammes of Kush Cannabis were recovered from parcels originating in Thailand, the United States and the United Kingdom. The estimated market value of the cannabis exceeded Rs. 30.5 million.
Officers also recovered 2,395 grammes of MDMA pills sent from Belgium, France, Canada and Germany, along with 33 grammes of Mandy from the Netherlands.
The largest single detection was made in a parcel from Belgium, which contained 2,202 grammes of MDMA pills valued at an estimated Rs. 33.03 million.
Following preliminary investigations, Customs officers handed over the seized narcotics to the PNB for further investigations and legal proceedings.