A 20-year-old Canadian woman has been arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for attempting to smuggle a consignment of hashish, estimated to be worth around Rs. 17.5 million into Sri Lanka.

The arrest was made by Sri Lanka Customs officers at the Airport on Sunday (9). 

The suspect, an undergraduate student, was on her first visit to Sri Lanka. According to the authorities, she had travelled from Toronto, Canada, to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, before arriving at the BIA onboard Etihad Airways flight EY-396 at 8.35 p.m. on 9 March. Upon inspection, Customs officers discovered a total of 17 kg and 573 g of Hashish concealed in three blankets inside her luggage. 

The suspect, along with the seized narcotics, has been handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau.