Declared as oranges to evade tax, 1.25cr cigarettes seized in Ctg

Chattogram Custom House officials seized 1.25 crore cigarette sticks that were imported under false declaration and with fake documents early today.

Customs officials said they would be able to determine the exact value of the consignment after completing an inventory within a day.

According to customs documents, Dhaka-based importer Ahsan Corporation had declared the goods as oranges, which arrived at Chattogram Port on May 15 this year.

Diba Trading Ltd, a clearing and forwarding agent, was assigned to release the goods on behalf of the importer.

Officials from the Audit, Investigation, and Research (AIR) section of the Customs House said they discovered forged documents submitted by the importer and the C&F agent to release the shipment. A subsequent physical examination of the container revealed it was loaded with cigarettes.

The consignment had been declared as oranges -- a product with a 90 percent tax rate -- whereas the tax rate for cigarettes can range from 320 to 600 percent, said customs officials.

Kazi Raihanuj Jaman, deputy commissioner of Chattogram Custom House, told The Daily Star, "We found 1.25 crore sticks of Oscar and Lamer brand cigarettes."

"Legal action will be taken after an investigation," he added.

Officials also said that importing foreign-made cigarettes without anti-smoking warnings written in Bangla on the packets is prohibited in Bangladesh.

As per regulations, if the quality of the seized cigarettes is found to be acceptable, the consignment will be sold to Bangladesh Tourism Corporation. Otherwise, it will be destroyed as per the law.