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Shipping agents warned following detection of contraband fags
Inspecting the biggest counterfeit cigarette detection for this year, a container load of over four million cigarettes with a black market value of nearly Rs. 30 million, the Director General pointed the finger at shipping forwarding agents for their alleged involvement with an organised ring of counterfeit cigarette smugglers. "It is quite evident that there is some sort of link between shipping forwarding agents and smugglers," Jayatilake said. We have repeatedly informed the agents to collect and submit "accurate" data on passport, address and etc of the person handing over the baggage to the agent. But most of the companies except for a very few, have failed to do so or submitted inaccurate data, the Director General said. The issue of contraband fags has created a greater threat to the tax revenue. In February alone, Rs. 1920 million was collected as tax revenue from legally available cigarettes. The Assistant Superintendent of Customs W. Rajapaksha said that the fags packed in eight wooden boxes were imported to Sri Lanka in the guise of "unaccompanied baggage" from Dubai, a special baggage clearance procedure for expatriate workers to clear their baggage. Customs investigations had revealed that the names of individuals stated in the manifesto as the owners of the stock were fictitious. Superintendent of Customs, P. Basnayeka said that the Customs are continuing forensic investigations in collaboration with Dubai Customs to match the hand writings on the wooden boxes with those of other baggage. |
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