Sri Lankan Airport Marijuana Bust Links 22 Monks to 242-Pound Haul

Twenty-two Buddhist monks returning from a four-day trip to Thailand were arrested at Sri Lanka's international airport after customs found 242 pounds of marijuana—worth about $3.4 million—hidden behind false walls in their luggage; a 23rd monk who organized the trip was later arrested. Investigators said the narcotics were carried by monks-in-training from various temples and schools, funded by an unnamed sponsor as a supposed 'donation' for their return. The seizure is the airport's largest kush detection in history, and the monks were remanded for seven days for further questioning.