- Twenty-two Buddhist monks were detained at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport after 110kg of narcotics, including kush and hashish, were found hidden in their luggage.
- The drugs, valued at more than £2.5m, were concealed in specially prepared luggage with false bottoms, packed alongside school supplies and sweets, after the group arrived from Bangkok, Thailand.
- The monks were remanded in custody until 2 May, marking the largest drug bust in the airport's history and the first large-scale case involving individuals in monastic robes.
- Senior Buddhist clergy condemned the accused as "impostor monks" exploiting religious dress for criminal activity and called for a full investigation and stricter oversight.
- Authorities are continuing inquiries into the drug's origin, financing, and potential wider trafficking networks, noting previous major narcotics seizures linked to Bangkok routes.
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