The dissemination of misleading information relating to incidents of significant public interest has become a common occurrence on social media platforms. Presented below is a fact-checking analysis conducted by us in relation to one such misleading claim circulated concerning the recent arrest of a group of armed individuals in possession of a consignment of narcotics at Bandaranaike International Airport.
Social Media Posts:
A claim circulating on social media alleged that 22 Buddhist monks had been arrested in Katunayake in possession of a consignment of narcotics valued at LKR 1.1 billion, describing it as the largest drug smuggling operation in Sri Lanka’s history.
Additional posts circulated on social media similarly claimed that the incident constituted the largest drug trafficking operation in Sri Lanka’s history.
We conducted a fact-check to determine whether this widely discussed drug raid constitutes the largest drug trafficking incident in Sri Lanka’s history.
Fact Check:
The Police Narcotics Bureau arrested 22 masked individuals at Bandaranaike International Airport for attempting to smuggle more than 112 kilograms of kush and hashish into Sri Lanka from Bangkok. The operation was conducted based on intelligence received by officers of the Bureau’s Airport Unit, indicating that the group would be transporting narcotics on a flight arriving from Bangkok on 25 April 2026.
Accordingly, officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau detained 22 suspected drug traffickers and their luggage within the premises of Bandaranaike International Airport. A subsequent special inspection, conducted jointly with airport customs officials, led to the recovery of 101 kilograms and 768 grams of kush, as well as 10 kilograms and 812 grams of hashish, in their possession.
The arrested suspects are Sri Lankan nationals between the ages of 20 and 30, who are believed to have meticulously attempted to smuggle the said consignment of narcotics into Sri Lanka. The Police Narcotics Bureau has initiated an extensive investigation to identify the principal individuals behind this operation and to determine whether it is linked to an established drug trafficking network within the country. A statement was published on the official Facebook page of the Police Media Division to this effect. The full post is available here.
Katunayake Airport has the largest haul of drugs seized in history.
Almost all mainstream media outlets reported that the seized narcotics consignment is the largest quantity of drugs ever confiscated in the history of Katunayake Airport, and that this marks the first instance in which a group of Buddhist monks has been arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport in connection with a drug consignment. It was further reported that the Police Narcotics Bureau had uncovered photographs and video evidence on the mobile phones of certain monks showing them engaged in various activities in Thailand while disguised as laypersons.
Those reports are available here, can be seen here and here as well.
With regard to the said drug raid, neither the Sri Lanka Police nor mainstream media outlets have described it as the largest drug seizure or the largest drug raid in Sri Lanka’s history.
The largest drug raid ever conducted on land in the history of Sri Lanka
The largest drug raid officially recorded on land in Sri Lanka’s history remains the operation conducted in Tangalle on 22 September 2025, during which over 600 kilograms of heroin and “ice” (methamphetamine) were seized. The estimated street value of the consignment is approximately LKR 10 billion (1,000 crores). In addition to the narcotics, a T-56 firearm and five pistols were also seized by the police. Commenting on the operation, Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya stated that it was the largest drug seizure on land in Sri Lanka’s history.
This post has more information about it.
The largest raid at sea
In March 2026, 654 kilograms of narcotics valued at over 10 billion rupees were seized in the South Sea by the Navy and the police. Deputy Defense Minister Aruna Jayasekara confirmed that the market value was over 10 billion rupees (1,000 crores). Further information can be found here and is located here.
Police Media Division
We made an inquiry with the Police Media Division for further clarification. The Division confirmed that, as investigations are still ongoing, it is misleading to describe the incident as the largest drug raid in Sri Lanka’s history. However, it was further stated that it is the largest drug seizure recorded in the history of Bandaranaike International Airport.
The arrested Chivara-dharis are currently in custody and are being interrogated, while the individual alleged to have led the group has also been taken into custody.
Following their presentation before the Negombo Magistrate’s Court on Sunday (26 April), the Chivara-dharis arrested in connection with the narcotics case were remanded for seven days. Accordingly, the suspects are currently in custody and being interrogated by the Police Narcotics Bureau. A monk alleged to have organised the group’s travel to Thailand has also been arrested on suspicion. Further details are provided here.
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Conclusion:
Our investigation shows that it is misleading to describe the arrest of a group of Chivaradharis who came to Sri Lanka from abroad with a consignment of drugs in Katunayake as the largest drug raid in Sri Lanka’s history. However, this is considered to be the largest haul of drugs seized at one time in the history of Katunayake Airport.
The biggest drug raid ever conducted on land in Sri Lanka was officially reported as the operation conducted in Tangalle on September 22, 2025, where over 600 kg of heroin and ice drugs were seized. Its market value was 10 billion rupees (1,000 crores).
Title: Misleading claim circulates about the Katunayake Airport monk drug bust
Fact Check By: Pavithra Hansani
Result: Misleading
