Chittagong Customs House has seized 1.25 crore sticks of foreign cigarettes falsely declared as oranges at the Chittagong port, in what officials say is a major attempt at tax evasion.
Md. Saidul Islam, Deputy Commissioner and spokesperson for Chittagong Customs, confirmed the seizure on Thursday. Acting on a tip-off, customs officials inspected a 40-foot container that had been declared as carrying oranges and discovered a massive quantity of Oscar and Lamar brand cigarettes hidden inside.
He explained that while the tax rate for importing oranges stands at 90%, taxes on cigarettes range from 320% to 600%. The consignment was allegedly declared falsely and accompanied by fake documents in an effort to evade nearly Tk 30 crore in duties.
The shipment was imported by Dhaka-based Ahsan Corporation and was declared on May 15. Diba Trading Limited acted as the C&F agent for unloading the goods.
Legal proceedings are expected to follow upon completion of the investigation.
