4 SriLankan Airlines security officers charged of illegally bringing in liquor

2026-01-29 - 03:33

Four security officers of SriLankan Airlines, who had travelled to Narita International Airport (NRT), Japan, to escort 03 deported Sri Lankans back to the country, have reportedly been found carrying 54 bottles of whisky into Sri Lanka, in violation of regulations. While ordinary airline passengers are legally permitted to bring in up to 2.5 litres of alcohol, officers travelling on official duty are not authorized to bring liquor in this manner, reports say. It is alleged that the whisky bottles were initially seized by Customs officers, but several bottles were later released after being claimed that they were brought for a private function. No formal investigation is said to have been conducted into the incident, and allegations have surfaced that a senior security official at SriLankan Airlines had intervened to suppress further inquiry. It is further claimed that the officers involved had acted under the influence of a Senior Manager (Security) at the airline. Meanwhile, employees of SriLankan Airlines have reportedly written to the President, expressing concern over the failure to carry out a proper investigation and to initiate disciplinary action against those allegedly responsible.