Navy thwarts smuggling attempt in Kalpitiya: An assortment of contraband seized

The Sri Lanka Navy took hold of a significant cache of smuggled goods during a search operation conducted at the Kudawa beach area in Kalpitiya on 31 Mar 26.

This proactive measure is part of the Navy's ongoing efforts to maintain vigilance along the island’s coastline and to conduct relentless patrols aimed at curbing illegal activities, including maritime smuggling.

The operation was carried out by personnel from SLNS Vijaya belonging to the Northwestern Naval Command. During the search at the Kudawa coastal stretch, naval teams discovered 13 suspicious packages that had been abandoned on the shore.

Upon a detailed inspection, the Navy recovered a diverse assortment of items suspected of being smuggled into the country. The seized items included approximately 170kg of cashew nuts, 90kg of cardamom, 180 bars of soap, 169 small bottles of liquid insecticide and 90 packets of fungicide.

It is believed that the smugglers were forced to abandon the consignment on the beach, unable to move the goods further inland due to the heightened surveillance maintained by the Navy across the coastline. Following the recovery, the entire stock of seized items was handed over to the Customs Preventive Office in Katunayake for further legal proceedings.