Sri Lanka Customs has warned of a growing trend of narcotics being smuggled into the country through international postal packages, with traffickers increasingly using small consignments in an attempt to evade detection.
Speaking at a media briefing on the progress of the national anti-drug operation on Thursday (16), Customs Spokesman Chandana Punchihewa said Customs carried out four drug detection operations at Bandaranaike International Airport and nine raids involving international postal parcels during June 2026.
The operations resulted in the seizure of a total of 83.2 kilograms of narcotics.
“In June 2026, Sri Lanka Customs carried out four drug detection operations at Bandaranaike International Airport and nine raids involving small postal parcels. Through these operations, we seized a total of 83.2 kilograms of narcotics,” Punchihewa said.
While the total seizures included drugs intercepted at the airport, he noted that the increasing use of international postal packages to smuggle narcotics into Sri Lanka has become a major concern for Customs authorities.
Punchihewa explained that the high volume of international mail arriving in the country each day makes it impossible to physically inspect every parcel. Instead, Customs relies on scanning technology to identify suspicious packages before carrying out detailed inspections.
He also revealed that authorities have observed a rise in attempts to smuggle the synthetic drug “Kush” into Sri Lanka through the postal system, with many intercepted parcels originating from Thailand.
Although the quantities contained in individual parcels are relatively small, Punchihewa warned that their social impact could be significant.
“Compared to the total quantity of drugs seized in the country, 83.2 kilograms may appear small, but the social impact is enormous. These parcels can be addressed directly to the end user, and traffickers often mix these drugs with other substances to increase the quantity before selling them,” he said.