Customs bust counterfeit cigarettes smuggling racket
Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE
A massive haul of illicit cigarettes, more than five million sticks
in quantity worth over Rs. 36 million was taken into custody during the
last three months by the Sri Lanka Customs.
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Customs officers inspect the container. Picture by Thushara
Fernando |
These counterfeit cigarettes were imported to Sri Lanka on several
occasions over a three month period under famous brand names of
cigarettes but were not genuine products. The cache was identified as a
counterfeit product by the Ceylon Tobacco Company. The Customs took into
custody 4,853,000 cigarettes in 24,265 cartons worth Rs. 36,397,500. "If
the Customs failed to take the illicit cigarettes into custody, the
total revenue lost to the country would be Rs. 110 million,"
Superintendent of Customs R.P. Hewagama said.
The racketeers have sent the cigarettes using the names and addresses
of foreign employees from Middle East countries.
The cache is scheduled to be destroyed under the supervision of the
Sri Lanka Customs and the National Authority for Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA)
by the Ceylon Tobacco Company. The counterfeit cigarettes were handed
over to the Sri Lanka Tobacco Company by officials of the Sri Lanka
Customs yesterday.
"The Government's loss would have been several millions of rupees if
the product found its way to the market. Moreover as this is a low
quality counterfeit product, it causes major harm to the consumers"
Assistant Director of Customs at Revenue Task Force Jayantha
Ponnamperuma said.
Meanwhile a large quantity of playing cards worth Rs. 1.2 million has
also been taken into custody by the Customs. More than 52,000 plastic
coated playing cards had been imported from Dubai concealed in two
wooden boxes.
The total revenue that would have been lost has been calculated as
Rs.3.38 million. |
