Sri Lankan authorities have arrested 22 Buddhist monks at Bandaranaike International Airport in Sri Lanka, after discovering a record 242 pounds of cannabis concealed in their luggage, officials said.
A Sri Lanka Customs spokesperson stated the group had returned from a four-day trip to Bangkok on April 23, when officers uncovered the drugs, identified as a potent cannabis strain known as Kush, along with hashish, hidden inside false compartments in their luggage.
"Each carried about five kilos of the narcotic concealed within false walls in their luggage," the customs spokesman said.
Each monk was carrying about 11 pounds of hashish and cannabis, with the narcotics concealed among candy and school supplies.
Authorities estimated the street value of the seizure at more than 1.1 billion Sri Lankan rupees, which is the equivalent of about $3.5 million, calling it the largest single cannabis detection in the airport's history, reported Sri Lankan outlet Newswire.lk.
The monks, most of them young students from temples across Sri Lanka, were allegedly traveling on a trip financed by an unidentified businessman.
Police said they have detained a 23rd monk suspected of organizing the smuggling operation who did not travel with the group, the BBC reported.
Investigators said the monks may have believed they were transporting donated goods, with plans for a vehicle to collect the luggage after arrival.
All 22 were remanded in custody by a court in Negombo until May 2, as Sri Lankan police investigate the mysterious sponsor who allegedly financed their travel and the organized network behind the smuggling operation.
Authorities said the suspects were handed over to police after the seizure, which followed prior intelligence.
Investigators further recovered images and videos from the monks’ smartphones allegedly showing them dressed in casual clothing during their stay in Thailand.
Sri Lankan authorities said the investigation into the suspected smuggling network is ongoing.
These arrests add to a string of major drug seizures in Sri Lanka.
In May 2025, a 21-year-old British woman named Charlotte May Lee, who was traveling from Bangkok to Colombo to renew her Thai visa, was arrested at the same airport with 101 pounds of cannabis.
She would claim that the drugs had been planted in her luggage in Bangkok and denied knowledge of the narcotics in her bags.
In June 2025, Sri Lankan authorities seized 22 pounds of cocaine from a 38-year-old Thai woman who hid the substance inside plush toys, in what officials described as the largest cocaine haul detected at the nation's main airport.
Law enforcement have further intercepted heroin shipments arriving by sea in recent years, with monks increasingly being implicated in drug-related cases throughout the region.
In 2022, every single monk at a Buddhist temple in Thailand were defrocked, after testing positive for methamphetamine during drug tests/
All were later sent to a drug rehabilitation clinic.
In 2017, a monk in Myanmar was arrested after authorities found more than 4 million methamphetamine pills in his possession.
Senior Buddhist clergy have condemned this latest incident, with some describing those involved as impostors misusing religious robes.
Support and follow PJ Media’s coverage of breaking news and key events. Join PJ Media VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member