COLOMBO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has begun repatriating 242 container loads of garbage to Britain following a local court's decision last week to reship the consignment back with immediate effect, local media reported here Saturday.
On Friday, 20 containers out of the 242 were reshipped back to Britain while another 65 will be sent back on Nov. 4 following a court ruling to send back all the containers which contain hazardous waste.
The containers full of waste material were imported in late 2017 from Britain and were lying at the Colombo Harbour when some customs officers detected them in 2019, after a foul smell was emanating from them.
The containers were imported into the country illegally after they had falsely been declared as extract metal from used mattresses which would be used for re-export purposes.
However, an investigation by the customs revealed at that time the motive of the involved companies was to be part of a multi-million-U.S. dollar trade of disposing of international waste in Sri Lanka.
Last month Sri Lanka reshipped back 21 containers which were holding up to 260 tonnes of rubbish which had also arrived from Britain between 2017 and 2018 after the British company who sent it here agreed to take them back.
Sri Lanka's Environment Ministry has filed a complaint seeking compensation of 1.6 billion Sri Lankan rupees (8.9 million U.S. dollars) from the British companies that have shipped the containers here for the damage caused. Enditem
