22 Monks Arrested at Airport with Over 112 kg of Kush and Hashish

Twenty-two individuals dressed as Buddhist monks have been arrested by the *Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB)* at *Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake*, while attempting to smuggle a large quantity of narcotics into the country.

The operation was conducted based on intelligence received by officers attached to the Airport Unit of the PNB. The information indicated that a group posing as monks would be transporting illegal drugs on a flight arriving from *Bangkok* on *25.04.2026*.

Acting on this intelligence, PNB officers detained the 22 suspects along with their luggage at the airport premises. During a thorough search carried out in coordination with Customs officials, the following narcotics were recovered:

*101 kilograms and 768 grams of Kush*
*10 kilograms and 812 grams of Hashish*

The apprehended suspects, Sri Lankan nationals aged between 20 and 30, had allegedly made careful and organized attempts to smuggle the drugs into the country.

The *Police Narcotics Bureau* has launched a comprehensive investigation to identify the key individuals orchestrating this operation and to determine any links to organized drug trafficking networks within the country.