Importer brings 1.25 crore foreign cigs hiding in orange consignment
Dhaka-based importer Ahsan Corporation imported a 40-foot container, declaring its contents as "fresh navel oranges" from the United Arab Emirates, to evade Tk30cr in duties
Customs authorities at Chattogram Port have thwarted a major revenue evasion attempt worth around Tk30 crore after uncovering a large consignment of foreign cigarettes concealed in a container falsely declared to be carrying fresh navel oranges.
"The consignment, which had arrived at the port on 15 May, was falsely declared in an attempt to smuggle the high-duty cigarettes into the country," Chattogram Custom House spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saidul Islam told The Business Standard today (22 May).
Customs officials said Dhaka-based importer Ahsan Corporation imported a 40-foot container, declaring its contents as "fresh navel oranges" from the United Arab Emirates.
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On 19 May, clearing and forwarding (C&F) agent Diba Trading Limited submitted the bill of entry to the Chattogram Custom House for the release of the goods.
However, acting on suspicion, the Audit, Investigation, and Research (AIR) branch of the Custom House conducted a Forced Keep Down of the container at around 2:00am today.
During the physical examination, customs officials recovered a staggering 1.25 crore sticks of foreign cigarettes — LAMER (Nano White) and OSCAR brands — alongside 387 cartons (weighing 5,418kg) of the declared Fresh Navel Oranges Class One.
In response to the incident, Md Baized, managing director of C&F agent Diba Trading Limited, told TBS, "The import documents were submitted by our staff Md Selim. We declared the consignment based on the information provided by the importer. Our company is not involved in the illegal import of foreign cigarettes."
According to Custom House, the import duty on oranges stands at around 90%, whereas the duty on cigarettes ranges between 320% and 600%, depending on the type and brand. Smuggling cigarettes under the guise of oranges was clearly a calculated move to avoid the significantly higher taxes.
As per the regulations, imported cigarette packets must carry anti-smoking warnings in Bengali. If the seized cigarettes meet the required standards, the consignment may be handed over to the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation. Otherwise, it will be destroyed in accordance with the law.
