Puttalam District MP Ali Sabri Raheem who caught by Customs officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport for not declaring 3.5 kg of gold and dozen of smartphones, was fined Rs 7.5 million and released.
He was released after he paid the fine. The Customs also confiscated the undeclared gold and mobile phones.
The MP had hidden a large amount of gold and mobile phones, which were worth more than Rs. 78 million, in his belongings. The Customs officers found 3.39kg of undeclared gold jewelry and gold bars worth Rs. 74 million. They also discovered 91 mobile phones worth around Rs. 4.2 million.
Raheem had flown in from Dubai, UAE, and arrived at the airport in the morning. The officials from the Revenue Task Force Directorate of Sri Lanka Customs caught him at the VIP terminal called the ‘Gold Route.’ They inspected his luggage and found the hidden gold and phones.
After his arrest, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, was informed about the incident. Raheem was questioned for about five hours by the authorities. Then, he was taken to the branch of the Revenue Task Force Directorate in Orugodawatta for further investigation.
