A consignment of foreign-made cigarettes was seized from a restaurant in Periyamulla, Negombo last evening (08) by a group of officers from the Special Raid and Investigation Unit of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA).

This stock of cigarettes had been illegally imported into Sri Lanka and they were placed in the shelves together with a stock of cigarettes released to the local market by the Ceylon Tobacco Company.

A large quantity of “Manchester” and other foreign manufactured cigarettes were found in this restaurant. The consignment was seized and sealed in front of the owners of the restaurant and is to be presented in the Negombo Magistrate’s Court today (09).

The officers of the CAA’s Special Raid and Investigation Unit are conducting investigations on how this stock of foreign-made cigarettes was brought to Sri Lanka, depriving Sri Lanka of Customs duty revenue, and who is operating the sales network of these cigarettes in Sri Lanka.