COLOMBO, October 22: The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested seven Indian nationals for allegedly attempting to smuggle around 2,400 kilograms of kendu leaves into the island nation, officials said on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by the Navy, the operation was launched by the Western Naval Command following credible intelligence inputs. Personnel intercepted two suspicious Indian boats, known as dhows, along with two local dinghies in Sri Lankan waters.
The arrests were made on Wednesday during a surveillance operation off the coast of Udappuwa in the Puttalam district. Seven Indian nationals aboard the dhows and four Sri Lankan nationals travelling in the dinghies were taken into custody.
A search of the vessels led to the recovery of approximately 2,400 kilograms of kendu leaves packed in 60 sacks, the Navy said.
The suspects, along with the seized boats and recovered leaves, are to be handed over to the Customs Preventive Office in Colombo for further legal proceedings.
Kendu leaves are commonly used to wrap tobacco for making bidis, traditional hand-rolled cigarettes. The leaves are valued for their durability and are widely used in the production of these tobacco products.
Smuggling of kendu leaves into Sri Lanka is reportedly driven by demand for cheaper bidis amid high prices of commercially manufactured cigarettes. Small boats are often used to transport such materials across the Palk Strait, which separates Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, allegedly to evade customs duties and import regulations.
