Sri Lanka Customs warns traffickers are using children and the elderly to smuggle drugs

Sri Lanka Customs says drug traffickers have begun exploiting vulnerable people—children, elderly passengers and individuals with serious medical conditions—to bypass detection at ports of entry. Deputy Director of the Customs Narcotics Control Unit Nuwan Abeynayake noted recent arrests of suspects arriving from African nations, including a 79‑year‑old Angolan woman living with HIV, and emphasized that new airport procedures are helping identify such cases.

The agency also issued a public reminder that travelers should never agree to carry parcels or baggage that belong to others. Customs spokesman Chandana Punchihewa cited a recent incident in which a 19‑year‑old was unknowingly used to transport illegal narcotics, and warned that traffickers may offer free travel or exploit close family ties to conceal drugs. He stressed that involvement, even unwitting, can lead to severe penalties, including the death penalty in some jurisdictions.