A court here today ordered the detention of a Pakistani national and two Sri Lankans in connection with the largest-ever heroin haul in South Asia.
Around 250 kilos of heroin concealed inside 17,500 small grease tins packed into a container sent from Karachi was seized by the authorities on Friday.
The Sri Lanka Customs revenue and investigation division had handed over the suspects to the Police Narcotics Division.
Mali Piyasena, a senior customs official said they were tipped off early August about the heroin container.
"We were waiting for the clearing agents to turn up to clear the container. This is surely the largest-ever haul of heroin seized in South Asia", Piyasena said.
Sri Lankan narcotics officials say Pakistan is a favourite import source of heroin into the country.
Sri Lanka is being used as a transshipment site for heroin into Europe with a quantity also being released for local consumption, they said.
In 2010 Sri Lankan customs had detected 55 kg of heroin concealed in fake potatoes from Pakistan.
