A local passenger trying to bring in a stock of live marine species from Singapore without declaring to the Sri Lanka Customs was stopped at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) yesturday morning.
The arrested individual has been identified as a 50-year-old businessman residing in the Thalawathugoda area,
The live animals include Asian Arowana, Cycad, Catfish and turtles, Sri Lanka Customs said.
Customs Spokesman Additional Director General Seevali Arukgoda told the Daily Mirror that the suspect was a 50-year-old trader from the Thalawathugoda area.
The animals had been carefully stored in polythene sacks half filled with water.
Importing live animals without declaring to the Customs is an offense and the suspect along with the contraband had been transferred to the Customs Bio Diversity, Cultural and National Heritage Protection Branch (BCNP) at the airport for further investigations.
