‘Holy Ash’ Actually $500,000 Of Heroin

Airport customs agents arrested an Indian passenger - after discovering that what he claimed was “holy ash” for faithful Hindus was in fact heroin.

The man, whose name was not released, arrived at Colombo’s international airport Sunday from the southern Indian city of Trivandrum, officials said Monday.

On being questioned about a box he was carrying, the man told officials it contained holy ash he was taking to Hindus in Sri Lanka, an island nation off the southern tip of India whose residents are mainly Buddhist.

Suspicious agents looked inside and discovered heroin worth an estimated $500,000.