Sri Lankan customs officials destroyed $4 million worth of illegally imported foreign cigarettes this week in Colombo. The cigarettes were confiscated in 2018, 2022, and 2024. According to customs spokesman Seevali Arukgoda, the authorities seized 8.7 million cigarettes during those three years.
Arukgoda said the agency plans to invest in modern equipment powered by artificial intelligence to improve container scanning and enhance contraband detection.