COLOMBO — Sri Lanka police arrested 22 Buddhist monks at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo after customs officials found 110 kilograms of high-grade cannabis concealed in their luggage. The group was detained around 10:10 p.m. local time as they returned from a four-day holiday in Bangkok.

Each monk carried about five kilograms of cannabis hidden within false walls of their suitcases, with the remaining space filled with school supplies and candy. The haul was valued at 1.1 billion rupees, according to officials, who said it was the largest single detection of kush at the airport.

The arrested monks were mostly junior monks in training drawn from temples across Sri Lanka. Their trip was sponsored by a businessman. A 23rd monk believed to have organized the journey was arrested in a suburb of Colombo.

The monks were taken before a magistrate on Sunday. Police suspect the drugs were placed in the suitcases without the monks' knowledge. Video footage posted on social media showed monks at the airport hiding their faces with their robes.

The monastic order issued a statement condemning the incident. "It strongly condemns the illegal actions and will work to expel any guilty monks," the order said.

The arrests followed other narcotics detections at the airport. In May 2025, a 21-year-old British woman, Charlotte May Lee, was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport with 46 kilograms of cannabis after travelling from Bangkok to Colombo. Lee said the drugs in her luggage were planted without her knowledge. In June 2025, Sri Lanka customs authorities arrested a 38-year-old Thai woman carrying about 22 pounds of cocaine stuffed into three plush toys. Sri Lankan authorities have also made several detections of large heroin and other narcotics smuggled via small fishing boats in recent years.