Sri Lankan arrested at BIA for smuggling 38 exotic pets

A Sri Lankan man was arrested early today, September 26, at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake for trying to smuggle 38 exotic pets into the country. The pets, valued at nearly Rs. 1 million, were brought in violation of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO) and the Animal Diseases Act. Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officers and Customs officials conducted the arrest. The suspect, a 56-year-old man from Digana, Kandy, arrived on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok at 12:01 a.m. During a search, officials found 38 animals, including guinea pigs, squirrels, dove birds, sugar gliders, and hedgehogs, hidden in cages inside his luggage. After further investigation, Customs officers fined him Rs. 250,000. The seized animals were given to Thai Airways to be sent back to Bangkok, according to officials.