A group of 22 Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka is at the center of a massive marijuana bust after authorities say they were caught attempting to smuggle hundreds of pounds of marijuana through the country’s main international airport.
According to CBS News, the monks were arrested on Sunday, April 26, after arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, carrying approximately 242 pounds of Kush—a potent strain of marijuana—hidden inside modified suitcases. A Sri Lanka Customs spokesperson said “each carried about five kilos of the narcotic concealed within false walls in their luggage,” marking the largest single seizure of Kush ever recorded at the airport.
The group was taken into custody and later handed over to police, with plans to appear before a magistrate shortly after their arrest.
The monks involved were reportedly young students affiliated with temples across Sri Lanka and were on a short trip funded by a private sponsor.
Officials emphasized the sophistication of the concealment, noting that the drugs were carefully packed into hidden compartments within luggage.
The seized Kush, a term tied to indica-dominant cannabis strains originating from the Hindu Kush mountain range, is widely associated with high potency and strong sedative effects, making it a highly sought-after product in global marijuana markets.
Their arrest has drawn particular attention, given the expectations tied to Buddhism, which generally discourages intoxicants under its Fifth Precept—a guideline focused on maintaining mindfulness and avoiding substances that lead to “heedlessness,” or impaired awareness.
While marijuana is not universally banned in all Buddhist traditions, its recreational use is widely viewed as incompatible with spiritual discipline.
This isn’t the first time drug trafficking cases have intersected with religious figures or Sri Lanka’s airport. In 2025, authorities intercepted a record cocaine shipment hidden inside stuffed toys, while other recent cases have involved heroin transported via fishing routes.
Beyond Sri Lanka, similar incidents have surfaced in Southeast Asia, including a 2022 case in Thailand where an entire temple’s monks were defrocked after testing positive for methamphetamine.
