Goods imported under false declaration in Ctg port
Two consignments carry contraband goods worth Tk 134cr
STAFF REPORTER, Ctg
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) recovered huge quantities of LED television sets, photocopiers, contraband cigarettes and liquor, worth over Tk. 134 crore, from 12 containers in the last two days (Sunday and Monday).
These items have been imported under false declaration.
A Customs team, in presence of CIID officials and Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) officials, opened four containers at the Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) yard on Sunday and the rest of eight containers on Monday. Inside the containers they found 3.87 crore sticks of contraband cigarettes of different brands, worth Tk. 74 crore; 4,074 LED TV sets (32 inch to 90 inch) of different brands, worth Tk. 41 crore; 16, 170 bottles of liquor of different brands, worth Tk. 17 crore; and 281 contraband photocopiers, worth Tk. 2.71 crore.
CIID assistant commissioner Tarek Mahmud confirmed this. The two consignments were sent for two Dhaka-based companiesHenan Anhui Agro Limited at Dumni of Khilkhet in Dhaka and Agro BD JP of Keraniganjowned by Khurshed Alam. They were labelled under capital machinery for preparing animal feed (HS Code: 84361000). The custom duty for such machinery is only 1 per cent, while it is 90 per cent to 600 per cent for the goods that have been imported under false declaration.
The two companies were not found in their mentioned addresses. Moreover, the importer and the owner of CF agent Rabeya and
Sons went on run soon after the goods were confiscated by the CIID.
It may be mentioned that the custom duty for cigarette is 596.97 per cent, while the custom duty for LED TV sets and liquor are 90 per cent and 600 per cent, respectively.
The importer had paid the customs duty of Tk. 207,630 (1% customs duty for capital machinery for preparing animal feed against the import value of USD 31,642) for the first consignment, well ahead of its arrival in the port terminal in order to release the goods hurriedly.
On Saturday, the exporter, Jam Raj Industries, China, had sent a letter to Chittagong Custom House commissioner, requesting him not to unload the goods in Chittagong port and to return them to Singapore as they were sent here mistakenly, said sources.
We rejected the request soon after getting the letter, said AFM Abdullah Khan, commissioner of the Chittagong Custom House.
The first consignment of six containers landed at the port on March 3, while it reached the port territory on February 28. The second consignment landed at the port on Sunday, while it reached the port territory on March 1.
The two consignmentsfirst consignment sent by MV Vasi Sun and second consignment by MV Sinar Subangreached the Chittagong port from Singapore via Malaysias Port Klang. The ships carrying the consignments left Singapore Port on February 21 and February 23, respectively.
CIID director general Moinul Khan said the same importers have so far taken the delivery of 71 containers under the same declaration. The Chittaging Customs will look into these consignments as well, he added.
