Sri Lanka, March 27 -- A Sri Lankan attempting to smuggle 38 live pets into the country was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake yesterday morning.

The smuggling attempt breached the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance and the Animal Diseases Ordinance, which strictly regulate the importation of live animals to prevent ecological damage and the spread of disease.

The seized animals have an estimated total value of approximately Rs. 998,000.

The suspect, a 56-year-old resident of Digana, Kandy, was stopped at the airport by a team from Katunayake Airport Customs and the Police Narcotics Bureau.

He had arrived at the Katunayake Airport at 12.01 a.m. from Bangkok on Thai Airways flight TG-307. The luggage h...