Sri Lanka Customs denies allegations over controversial container release

Sri Lanka Customs has firmly denied allegations that 323 shipping containers were released without proper checks, stating that the cargo only contained industrial goods and raw materials as declared by the importers.

Speaking at a special press conference held today, Customs Media Spokesperson and Additional Director General, Seevali Arukgoda said, “We have no reason to believe the containers carried anything illegal such as arms or drugs. Based on the import documents and our procedures, we are confident the cargo matched the declarations.”

Arukgoda explained that the containers, which were released on January 18, 2025, contained items such as plastics, yarn, chemicals, automobile spare parts, animal feed, machinery, pesticides, cement, iron pipes, fertilizers, and wood. These goods were mostly imported from India and China, as well as from countries including Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Switzerland, South Korea, and the UAE.

“In total, there were 371 containers. Out of these, 62 were automatically released by our system, and 309 were cleared by a customs committee after document verification,” he said. “We received 234 Customs entry numbers linked to 180 importers. We have detailed records of all involved parties including importers, clearing agents, and the container numbers.”

He strongly denied rumors that the containers contained weapons, gold, or narcotics. “We follow a strict selection method based on risk management. Around 60% of cargo is released without inspection using this system. This is not a new practice and has been in place for years,” Arukgoda said.

Due to growing public concern, Sri Lanka Customs has now launched a post-clearance audit. The audit is being conducted by the Post-Clearance Department and is overseen by a high-level committee appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.

“All officers, including the Director General of Customs, have appeared before the committee and provided full details. We have also shared all necessary information with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID),” he added. “There was no external influence in the container release process that is something I can state with full confidence.”

Sri Lanka Customs assured the public that all steps were taken according to proper procedure and that every detail of the clearance process is available for investigation.