Colombo, Oct. 18 -- A stock of 22,950 metric tons of imported salt, valued at over Rs. 910 million, has been detained by Sri Lanka Customs after being found non-compliant with national standards and imported after the government's permitted deadline, according to Customs sources.

Officials said the shipment, one of the largest consignments imported this year, was rejected for release due to a lack of certification from the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) and for violating import deadlines imposed following the temporary relaxation of salt import restrictions earlier this year.

Sources revealed that at one stage, the SLSI refused to issue a standardisation certificate for the entire consignment stored on a vessel, indicating that ...