Sri Lanka bans imports of remote control toy planes

Dubai: Sri Lanka has banned imports of remote-controlled toy aircraft because they can be used to trigger bomb blasts.

Sri Lankan Ambassador to the UAE Junaid Navabi said yesterday the toys would no longer be allowed into the country. The ban was issued by the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and is being enforced by the Customs Department in Sri Lanka.

"This ban is applicable to everyone including Sri Lankans who reside outside Sri Lanka. Expatriates who ignore the ban and carry the remote-controlled flying toys will have them confiscated at Sri Lankan airports as well as Sri Lankan ports," Navabi said.

Security in Sri Lanka is currently heightened as a result of sporadic violence in which large numbers of civilians have been killed. The UN in a statement issued on Monday has also called for the protection of civilians. Just 10 days into the New Year the country has witnessed two consecutive bomb blasts in buses south of its capital Colombo killing over 15 civilians and soldiers.

The ambassador said that details of the new regulation would be given to the embassy shortly.

"I have got in touch with the authorities in Colombo and I was informed that all diplomatic missions will be provided with a full text of the ban."

Reacting to the ban expatriate Sri Lankans in the UAE said it was better to abide by the security measures rather than getting blown to pieces.

Revan Wickaramasuriya, a Dubai-based Sri Lankan who has travelled to Sri Lanka several times during the past month said: "The law should be there and is necessary for security reasons taking into consideration the present circumstances in the country. The country is under threat from one of the most organised terrorist organisations in the world."

He, however, does not consider remote-controlled flying toys to be popular in Sri Lanka.

"Video and computer games are quite popular. For some reason remote-controlled flying toys are not popular with children in Sri Lanka."

Arjuna Dasanayake, a Sharjah-based Sri Lankan, said that strict security operations were put in place in Colombo.

He said: "A couple of weeks back I was in Colombo. There has been an escalation in violence in the past week. The so called 'truce' between the Tamil Tigers and the government is completely in tatters. I think all the necessary precautions are a must under such circumstances and I am sure that the community will not have any problems with it."