Fraudulently imported cars, motorbikes detected by Customs

Ramani Premathilaka Bogoda

The Revenue Task Force of the Customs Department yesterday detected four vehicles worth over Rs. 20 million and another 15 motorcycles which have been fraudulently imported to Sri Lanka by violating export and import regulations.

These vehicles have been fraudulently packed in a 40 foot long container and sent to Sri Lanka by a Sri Lankan who has been working in Japan over the past one and half years. He has submitted these vehicles to the Customs as his personnel belongings, Assistant Director of Customs Mali Piyasena told the Daily News yesterday.

The seized vehicles include a Toyota Carena, Nissan March, Nissan FB14 and Nissan FB15 cars. If these vehicles were to he released from the Port, the Government would have lost over Rs. 10 million in income, he said.

Piyasena said the Revenue Task Force of the Customs Department has also detected a large number of vehicles which have been fraudulently imported to Sri Lanka last year.