The containers were released after learning from the Presidential secretariat that President Maithripala Sirisena was about to ban the herbicide - Glyphosate, sources add.

These two companies are subsidiaries of The Capital Maharaja Organisation Limited.

After a research done in the University of California revealed that Glyphosate was a major reason behind the disastrous kidney disease, three weedicides including the chemical was banned from being used last December.

On May 22, 2015, Glyphosate was banned in Sri Lanka.

However, the 02 companies above have obtained Customs' permission to release the 15 containers on May 11.

It is said that that the contents of the containers is sufficient for 1 1/2 years.

The documents pertaining to the containers' release is shown below.

Speaking on this regard, Customs media spokesman - Leslie Gamini says that the Customs in empowered to withhold any containers of Glyphosate which were brought into the country after June 11.

Noting that there are currently several containers of Glyphosate at the port, he said that import permits of Glyphosate containers brought in before June 10, 2015 were all in order.

Adding that the containers are yet to be released, he also said that the containers could be sent back to the countries they were imported from, if the importers agreed to do so.