Srilanka, April 5 -- A Chinese national attempting to illegally smuggle 48.6 kilograms of Kothalahimbutu out of Sri Lanka has been arrested by Customs officers at the Departure Terminal of Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

The arrest was made during a raid conducted on April 2, as part of ongoing surveillance operations at the airport. The suspect was preparing to board China Eastern Airlines flight MU 714 from Colombo to Kunming, China.

Customs officials said the consignment concealed within the passenger's luggage, carefully packed and disguised as parcels of tea. Upon inspection, officers identified the contents as Kothala Himbutu, a plant species protected under Sri Lanka's Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.

Authorities ...