In a landmark drug bust that has sent shockwaves through Sri Lanka’s Buddhist community, 22 Buddhist monks, most of whom are student monks from temples across the country, have been taken into custody at Colombo’s main international airport after customs officials uncovered 110 kilograms of high-potency cannabis hidden in their checked luggage.
The detention unfolded on Saturday, when the group arrived back in Sri Lanka following an all-expenses-paid four-day recreational trip to Thailand, funded by an as-yet-unidentified sponsor. A subsequent search by customs teams revealed that each monk’s suitcase contained around 5 kilograms of Kush, a particularly strong strain of cannabis, cleverly concealed behind custom-built false walls inside the luggage compartments. The contraband was tucked between seemingly innocuous items including school supplies and confectionery, according to local law enforcement.
Investigators have since taken a 23rd monk into custody in a Colombo suburb. Authorities say this 23rd suspect, who did not travel on the trip to Thailand, was the mastermind behind the smuggling operation. Per statements given to BBC Sinhala by the acting police spokesperson, the organizer told the participating monks that the hidden packages were charitable donations, and instructed them that a pre-arranged van would meet them upon arrival in Colombo to collect the parcels.
Digital evidence recovered from the arrested monks’ mobile phones included photos and video footage showing the group enjoying their Thailand getaway in casual clothing, a find that has drawn additional public attention to the case. On Sunday, all 22 arrested monks appeared before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, where they were remanded in official custody for a seven-day period to allow for extended investigative questioning.
Law enforcement officials have noted an important caveat to the case: they currently suspect that most of the student monks may have been unaware that they were transporting illegal narcotics, having been unwitting pawns in the organized smuggling plot. Sri Lankan narcotics authorities confirm this is the first recorded incident where a large group of Buddhist monks have been arrested on suspicion of trafficking illegal drugs through the country’s main international airport, marking an unprecedented development for the island nation’s anti-drug enforcement efforts.