Customs officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport yesterday, seized four gems valued at Rs 11.5 million from a French national who had flown from Dubai to Sri Lanka on flight EK 2752.
The officers also detected 61 cigarette cartons valued at Rs 600,000 and nine bottles of foreign liquor valued at Rs 27,000 which he tried to smuggle into the country, said Airport Customs Director Parakrama Basnayaka.
The gems, (fours sapphires), one blue and the other three yellow in colour, were found hidden among the cigarettes and the bottles, he said. He was arrested at the Airport at .
He has been a regular traveller to Sri Lanka. “We imposed a fine of Rs. 100,000 against him. He has not paid it,” Basnayaka said.