Trending Now - Buddhist Monks Detained With 110kg of Cannabis at Airport
WHO:
CBS News - Twenty-two Sri Lankan monks were arrested.
CBS News - The monks were mostly young students from temples across Sri Lanka.
CBS News - The monks were returning from a holiday sponsored by a businessman.
WHAT:
CNN - The estimated value of the narcotics is over $3.45 million (1.1 billion rupees).
CNN - The monks had traveled to Thailand on April 22 using tickets provided by a sponsor.
CNN - The monks will appear before the Negombo Magistrate’s Court for further legal proceedings and investigations.
NY Post - Police estimated that the entire cannabis haul would sell for £2.5 million, or around $3.4 million, on the streets.
CBS News - Last May, a 21-year-old British woman was arrested with 101 pounds of cannabis at the same airport.
CBS News - In June 2025, Sri Lanka's customs authorities arrested a woman carrying about 22 pounds of cocaine, marking the largest haul of cocaine ever detected at the country's main airport.
CBS News - In 2022, every monk at a Buddhist temple in central Thailand was defrocked after testing positive for methamphetamine.
CBS News - In 2017, a Buddhist monk was arrested in Myanmar after authorities found more than 4 million meth pills in his car and monastery.
CBS News - The group was found with a record 242 pounds of cannabis, which is approximately 110kg.
CBS News - A Sri Lanka Customs spokesman stated, "Each carried about five kilos of the narcotic concealed within false walls in their luggage."
BBC News - 110kg of cannabis was discovered in their luggage.
CBS News - Each monk was found with around 5kg of Kush hidden within "false walls" in their luggage.
CBS News - The group was arrested at the main international airport.
CBS News - The arrest involved the largest single detection of Kush at the airport.
WHERE:
CBS News - The arrests took place at the main international airport in Sri Lanka.
CBS News - The monks were returning from a four-day vacation in Bangkok, Thailand.
WHEN:
CBS News - The arrests occurred on a Sunday.
CBS News - The monks were to be taken before a magistrate later on Sunday.
WHY:
CNN - Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau is investigating if the smuggling activities are connected to local drug-running networks.
BBC - An acting police spokesman reported that a monk who did not join the trip told the other monks that "these parcels are a donation" and that a van would come to collect the packages.
CBS News - The monks were returning home after a four-day vacation in the Thai capital, Bangkok, sponsored by a businessman.
CBS News - The monks were found with cannabis concealed in their luggage, indicating an attempt to smuggle drugs.
HOW:
CBS News - The cannabis was identified as Kush, a potent, plant-based strain of cannabis.
BBC News - The cannabis was hidden within "false walls" in their luggage.
(UPDATED April 28, 2026 09:41 UTC)
Authorities have seized narcotics valued at over $3.45 million, and the investigation is focusing on potential connections to local drug-running networks in Sri Lanka. The individuals involved, who are monks, traveled to Thailand on April 22 using tickets provided by a sponsor. They are set to appear before the Negombo Magistrate’s Court for further legal proceedings and investigations.
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(UPDATED April 28, 2026 04:13 UTC)
Police have estimated that a recent cannabis haul is valued at approximately £2.5 million, which translates to around $3.4 million on the streets. This significant seizure highlights ongoing efforts to combat illegal drug trafficking. Authorities continue to work diligently to address these issues within the community.
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(UPDATED April 27, 2026 21:21 UTC)
In a troubling trend, a monk who stayed behind informed his fellow monks that the suspicious parcels they were handling were a "donation," claiming a van would arrive to collect them. This follows a series of significant drug-related incidents in the region, including the defrocking of every monk at a Buddhist temple in central Thailand in 2022 after they tested positive for methamphetamine. Additionally, in 2017, authorities in Myanmar arrested a monk who was found with over 4 million meth pills in his car and monastery, highlighting ongoing issues with drug trafficking within religious communities.
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(UPDATED April 27, 2026 19:22 UTC)
A group of monks returning home from a vacation in Bangkok was found with a record 242 pounds of cannabis, which is approximately 110 kilograms. According to a spokesman from Sri Lanka Customs, each monk carried about five kilos of the narcotic concealed within false walls in their luggage. The cannabis was identified as Kush, a potent, plant-based strain known for its strength.
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(UPDATED April 27, 2026 15:35 UTC)
Twenty-two young monks from Sri Lanka were arrested at the main international airport after returning from a four-day vacation in Bangkok, Thailand. Authorities discovered a total of 110 kilograms of cannabis, with each monk carrying around 5 kilograms concealed within "false walls" in their luggage, marking the largest single detection of Kush at the airport. The group is set to appear before a magistrate later today.