Colombo, Oct 22: Seven Indian nationals were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for attempting to smuggle 2,400 kg of kendu leaves into the island nation, the Navy said on Thursday.
“The operation was mounted based on credible information received by the Western Naval Command. The interception was made after having spotted 2 suspicious Indian dhows that had entered island waters, along with 2 local dinghies located in the area,” the Sri Lanka Navy said in a statement.
Seven Indian nationals aboard the dhows and four Sri Lankan nationals on the dinghies were taken into custody on Wednesday off the coast of Udappuwa in Puttalam district during a surveillance operation, it said.
A search of the boats led to the recovery of about 2,400 kg of kendu leaves packed in 60 sacks, the Navy said.
The suspects, seized boats and kendu leaves are to be handed over to the Customs Preventive Office in Colombo for further legal proceedings, the Navy said.
Kendu leaves, used to make bidis (traditional hand-rolled cigarettes), are valued for their durability and are widely used as wrappers for tobacco.
The leaves are smuggled into Sri Lanka to meet demand for cheaper bidis amid high prices of commercially manufactured cigarettes.
Smugglers use small boats to transport the leaves across Palk Strait — the shallow waterway that separates Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, bypassing import duties and customs regulations on tobacco-related materials. (PTI)
