Colombo, Oct. 6 -- A trader, fisherman, electrician, and a foreign national who attempted to smuggle large quantities of illicit cigarettes into the country, worth over Rs.16.2 million, were intercepted by authorities at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) during the first seven days of October, the Daily Mirror learns.

The police at BIA made these detections in three separate incidents, seizing a total of 108,400 sticks of cigarettes belonging to the foreign brands 'Platinum' and 'Manchester.' Under the Customs Ordinance, the sale and personal importation of foreign cigarettes is prohibited in Sri Lanka.

In the latest incident, a local man returning from a three-and-a-half-year job as an electrician in Dubai was searched at th...