COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan and two Indians possessing a stock of 48 kgs of ‘Walla-patta’ worth Rs 38.4 million were arrested by Custom officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport.
Customs media Spokesperson and Legal Director Lesley Gamini said this was the largest “Walla-Patta” stock seized by the Sri Lankan Customs so far. He said they were attempting to smuggle the stock to Chennai in India.
Environmentalists informed that the Gyrinops walla, the biological name for the tee, was protected under the Forest Ordinance as a forest produce. It is prohibited to cut down the tree, keep in possession, export or transport it. Walla-patta was high in demand in the perfume industry and that was the reason for frequent smuggling attempts. It is indigenous to Southeast Asia and Indian Subcontinent only.
