Sri Lanka's customs authorities arrested on Friday a woman and seized the largest haul of cocaine ever detected at the country's main international airport, an official said.

The unnamed 38-year-old Thai woman was carrying nearly 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of cocaine stuffed into three plush toys, Customs Additional Director-General Seevali Arukgoda said.

"This is the biggest attempt at cocaine smuggling stopped by Sri Lanka Customs at the airport," Arukgoda said in a statement.

Customs officials at Bandaranaike International Airport posed for photos with the cocaine, which had been neatly stuffed into just over 500 plastic capsules, with an estimated street value of $1.72 million.

The seizure follows three other hauls this month totaling nearly 60 kilograms of synthetic cannabis.

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