Twenty-two Sri Lankan monks were arrested at the main international airport after returning from a trip to Thailand with 242 pounds of cannabis hidden in their luggage. The monks, mostly young students from various temples, had concealed the potent Kush strain within false walls of their bags. This incident marks the largest single detection of Kush at the airport. The monks were handed over to police and were scheduled to appear before a magistrate. This arrest follows other significant drug seizures at the airport, including a British woman caught with 101 pounds of cannabis and a Thai woman with 22 pounds of cocaine. Sri Lanka has seen several drug smuggling cases, often involving fishing boats. This isn’t the first time monks have been involved in drug-related incidents; in 2022, monks in Thailand were defrocked after testing positive for methamphetamine.
QUESTION: How might the involvement of religious figures in drug-related activities impact public perception of religious institutions?
22 Buddhist monks arrested at airport after record drug bust
