Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has raised serious concerns regarding the controversial release of 323 red-risk containers by Sri Lanka Customs in January, without any inspection. He emphasized that this allegation was initially made not by politicians, but by the Customs Trade Union Federation. Furthermore, the Customs Staff Officers’ Association, Senior Customs Superintendents, and a majority of other groups representing Customs officials have also echoed these accusations.
According to Premadasa, the containers—categorized as high-risk—were hastily released within a few days, in clear violation of standard procedures. He warned that this incident has led to significant losses in government revenue, the unauthorized release of prohibited goods, and the creation of artificial problems within the system.
He further alleged that some of the released containers belong to groups that had previously been penalized, and yet no official response has been issued by the government. Despite the appointment of investigative committees and ongoing inquiries, no tangible action has been taken so far, raising serious concerns over the transparency and integrity of the investigation. He stated that the government must be held accountable, but accused both the President and the administration of being irresponsible and unaccountable in addressing this matter.
Premadasa added that he places trust in the information provided by businessmen associated with the released containers. According to them, approximately 60% of the containers were not inspected by Customs at all. He described the current situation as one that fosters theft rather than preventing it, noting that the system is not deterring corruption, but rather enabling and encouraging it.
Despite the country having invested crores in container inspection equipment, he claimed that 60% of the containers continue to bypass inspection. Premadasa questioned how authorities can ensure the safety of these containers without proper screening, especially when suspicions have been raised that some may contain narcotics or war-related materials. He stressed that this poses a significant threat to national security and has become a topic of serious public discourse.
Given the gravity of the situation, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for a transparent and impartial investigation into the release of these containers. He demanded that the investigation be conducted thoroughly over several months and concluded by stating, “Remove the thief’s mother from the fortune-telling process,” metaphorically urging for the elimination of influence and interference in the inquiry.
