Super luxury vehicle detected in container

Anuradha Kodagoda

A super luxury Toyota Noah, a model imported for the first time to Sri Lanka was detected in a container declared as machinery items, by the Sri Lanka Customs yesterday.

The vehicle worth around Rs. 8 million and comes under the highest tax category, was detected when it went through the container X-ray machine, one of the latest additions to the Customs Department, Customs sources said. It was well-concealed among the machinery items and other equipment. Up to date the Scanning Unit installed in February has investigated 8,200 containers, helping the Customs to seize over Rs. 50 million worth of illegal goods, in total.

The Unit has a capacity to screen 80 containers per day. This includes BoI shipments, general imports and exports.

"This has been very effective in the sense it will discourage potential racketeers from attempting similar stunts," the customs official said.

Through these investigations they found undeclared vehicles including a Landcruiser (Prado) among used auto parts containers, steel rods, declared as scrap iron, detected few bus bodies, declared as body shells where the essential components were found having the characterises to form a complete bus, four cut portions of two complete vehicles, detected large quantity of stereo sets, buffels, household appliances among containers declared as used machinery.

Apart from these, there was a large number of detections of undeclared vehicle cut portions and chassis and undeclared commercial machinery as well.

The unit is under the guidance of the Director General of Sri Lanka Customs, Sarath Jayathilaka, Director, Dr. Neville Gunawardena. Further investigations conducted by Deputy Director of Sri Lanka Customs, Mali Piyasena.