STF busts vehicle assembly racket

Sandasen Marasinghe

The Special Task Force (STF) raided a premises in Panadura where expensive vehicles were being assembled illegally denying revenue to the government.

The STF seized four vehicles including a jeep, a car and two lorries at the site, that were being illegally assembled. Two suspects were arrested in this connection. Both suspects are in their early 20s. One is from Nanu Oya and the other is from Kalutara North. Investigations revealed the suspects had been conducting the racket over a long period at Eluvila, Panadura.

They assemble an engine of a vehicle and a chasis of the same type of vehicle imported separately making a complete vehicle. By assembling vehicles in this manner, a vehicle was made with imported vehicle parts evading paying custom duties and other levies, STF sources said.

The STF seized a silver Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep at the site that had been assembled with the engine bearing number V75 W000 9254 and the Chasis number 788 EOT 71071/2204, a white assembled Nissan, Ex-Saloon car, an Isuzu lorry and another Nissan lorry.

An STF officer said none of these vehicles had number plates nor were they registered. The raid was conducted by a group of STF personnel led by IP Nadeeka Silva attached to the STF headquarters. The suspects and the productions were handed over to Panadura Police for further investigations.