PV desk : Chattogram Customs and intelligence officials seized a container of foreign cigarettes imported under false declarations at Chattogram port on Thursday.
The cigarettes were imported by a Dhaka-based company Hamko Corporation, under the guise of water filters, according to customs officials.
The amount of the seized cigarettes of Mond brand is approximately 50 lakh, worth Tk 5 crore.
The goods were imported illegally for evading tax, said customs officials.
The tax rate hovers 25 percent for water purification machine, which can go as high as 600-650 percent in case of cigarettes.
AKM Khairul Bashar, deputy commissioner (DC) of the Customs House, said acting on a tipped-off a 20-foot container that arrived at Chattogram port at 1:30pm on Wednesday was detained.
Later, Audit, Investigation and Research (AIR) branch of the Customs House found 2,500 cartons of Monde cigarettes after physical test of the container around 12am on Thursday midnight, he said.
According to the customs official, the importer Hamko Corporation opened an LC from The City Bank Limited and imported the goods from Asian Global Company Limited in Bangkok to Chattogram port. The container was transported on a vessel named ‘KOTA ANGGUN.
Bashar informed that after completing the process, they will determine the amount of revenue that was attempted to be evaded.
/NU/
