Colombo | A group of 22 people dressed as monks has been arrested for allegedly carrying Kush and Hashish narcotics at the Bandaranaike International Airport here upon arrival from Thailand, Sri Lankan police said.

The Narcotics Bureau said the haul worth 1.1 billion Sri Lankan rupees was the largest drug seizure at the airport.

The 22 individuals were arrested on Saturday for allegedly carrying 120 kg of Kush and Hashish narcotics on false bottomed suitcases, police said. They had left for Thailand on April 22.

According to police, the suspects are residents of Ampara, Horana, Boralesgamuwa, Wadduwa, Warakapola, Piliyandala, Homagama, Athuraliya, Ambalangoda, Kudispaththuwa, Madapatha, and Balangoda.

Each individual was reportedly found carrying over 5 kg of narcotics in their luggage, totalling more than 120 kg of Kush and Hashish.

The group has been detained for further investigations.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the three main Buddhist monk sects in a joint statement on Sunday slammed what they termed a group of “monk impersonators”.

The leading monks said the impersonators need to be expelled from the Buddhist order and the state must come forward to frame new legislation to weed out impersonators.