Sri Lanka, Sept. 10 -- Sri Lanka Customs has announced the confiscation of a large haul of illegally imported foreign cigarettes, with a street value of over Rs 270 million.

Customs officials at the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport seized a total of 1,826,788 cigarettes between May 25 and July 20. The market value of this seized stock is estimated at Rs 274,018,200.

Had these cigarettes entered the local market, the government would have lost an estimated Rs 297,668,674 in revenue. Customs officials stated that importing cigarettes into Sri Lanka is an illegal act under both the Customs Ordinance and the Tobacco Act.

The confiscated cigarettes are scheduled to be destroyed tomorrow (11) at 9:30 AM at the Kerawalapitiya Sol...