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.