Sri Lanka seizes cocaine worth millions of dollars

Sri Lanka's custom officials on Thursday seized a large haul of cocaine valued at $13.8 million in the international market.

The drug was being smuggled in a sugar container from Brazil, Xinhua news agency reported.

Customs Spokesman Dharmasena Kahandawa said the 200 kg of seized cocaine was hidden in eight sugar bags in a shipping container.

An investigation has been launched to see if the cocaine had been smuggled for the local market or elsewhere.

"The shipping container was en route to Portugal. So the Police Narcotics Bureau has launched an investigation," Kahandawa said.

The seized cocaine has been handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau for further investigation.

Customs officials have beefed up their examination on sugar containers arriving from Brazil after a large haul of cocaine was seized in June.

Sri Lankan authorities are trying to probe if Colombo is being used as a transit point to smuggle drugs.

--IANS

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