Sri Lankan monks’ Thailand trip goes up in smoke after cannabis bust
Chattarin SiradakulPublished: April 28, 2026, 11:41 AM
Twenty-two Sri Lankan Buddhist monks who had just returned from Thailand were arrested on April 25 at an airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after customs officers allegedly found cannabis hidden in their luggage.
BBC reported yesterday, April 27, that the monks were detained after officers found 110 kilogrammes of cannabis concealed in secret compartments inside their suitcases.
Sri Lankan customs officers said each monk allegedly carried around 5 kilogrammes of Kush, a potent cannabis strain. The cannabis was reportedly stored alongside school supplies and snacks.
The group, mostly made up of student monks, had just returned from a four-day Thailand trip funded entirely by an unnamed sponsor.
Police told BBC Sinhala that officers later arrested a 23rd monk in a Colombo suburb on suspicion of organising the trip, although he did not travel with the group.
The 23rd monk allegedly told the other monks that the packages were donations and that a van would collect them after their arrival.
Sri Lanka’s anti-narcotics office also found photos and videos on some of the monks’ phones. They were seen enjoying the trip and wearing ordinary clothes during the visit.