The typical person who smuggles things is probably not a man of religion. But, as it turns out, some holy men may see things we don't... at least after they've had some of what they've been smuggling.
This is a pretty wild turn of events. According to the New York Post, 22 Buddhist monks have been arrested after they allegedly smuggled 242 lbs. of marijuana. The drugs are estimated to be worth around $3.4 million. They were arrested at Sri Lanka's international airport on Saturday, April 26.
A Sri Lanka Customs spokesperson said that "five kilos of the narcotic" per monk were stored behind "false walls" in their luggage. Strangely, the rest of the space in their suitcases were filled with school supplies and candy.
This is because the majority of the monks involved in the bizarre plot were monks-in-training. They had spent four days in Thailand as a part of a pious trip. An unnamed sponsor paid for the whole thing.
Strangely enough, this was all allegedly orchestrated by a 23rd monk. He was arrested in Sri Lanka not too long after the whole thing was uncovered. But, strangely enough, all the monks were from different institutions across Sri Lanka. They've got better organisational skills than me!
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Senior Monks Have Condemned Their Actions
But, senior monks in the Buddhist clergy have condemned the actions of the supposed "imposter monks". They say that they used their iconic orange religious garments to hide their criminal activities.
The "imposter monks" were apparently going to use the drugs for "a donation". To whom, we still aren't sure. Either way, it was an absolutely massive sting operation. The customs officials in the Sri Lanka airport even reported it was their single biggest marijuana detection in the airport's history.
In any case, the 22 monks were remanded in custody for seven days. They're going to be subjected to several days of questioning. Their first court appearance was on Sunday, where they could be seen covering their faces. Whether that was for religious reasons, embarrassment, or both, we're not sure.
Either way, one thing remains true. They're going to have a lot of time to meditate if they're convicted.
