Buddhist Monks Busted With Record 242 Pounds of Cannabis at Sri Lanka Airport

Nearly two dozen Buddhist monks were arrested at Sri Lanka's Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport after being caught with a record 242 pounds of powerful cannabis.

According to CBS News, the 22 monks—most of whom were students—were returning home from a four-day trip to Bangkok, Thailand, when officials uncovered the massive haul of Kush hidden in their luggage on Sunday.

Each monk was responsible for approximately 11 pounds of weed.

"Each carried about five kilos of the narcotic concealed within false walls in their luggage," according to a spokesman for Sri Lanka Customs.

The record drug bust comes less than one year after Sri Lanka Customs officials caught and arrested a 21-year-old British woman with 101 pounds of cannabis at the same airport.

2025 also saw airport security officers seize its largest haul of cocaine ever when a 38-year-old Thai woman was busted carrying about 22 pounds of cocaine stuffed into three plush toys.

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