Imported goods being released thru signature, website forgeries

A group of individuals are forging the signatures of officials of the commerce ministry, the Department of Livestock, Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Agricultural Extension to release undeclared goods, according to Chattogram customs.

A total of 31 clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents were found to have engaged in signature forgery between June 2015 to August 2019.

As a result, these agents had their licences temporarily revoked while the related importers were fined as well.

However, the customs authority then allowed 16 of these C&F agents to resume operations after paying nominal fines, which is a violation of the Customs Agents (Licensing) Rule-2016.

Recently, the Chattogram Customs House filed separate cases under section 22(2) and 23(2) of the Digital Security Act-2018 against an importer and a C&F agent for using a fake website and forging the commerce ministry's seal and signature.

The cases were filed against Md Jalil, owner of Siam Enterprise, and Ghulam Maula Khan, proprietor of Khan Enterprise.

Khan Enterprise was the C&F agent responsible for a consignment's release from customs on behalf of Siam Enterprise.

According to Chattogram Customs, the importer tried to release 36 tonnes of baby food items by submitting a fake clearance permit.

Jalil also created a fake website resembling the commerce ministry's, where information on the permit was displayed.

The documents submitted by Siam Enterprise show that Md Abdul Awal, deputy secretary of the commerce ministry, signed the clearance permit on October 1.

However, after crosschecking with the ministry on October 27, it was later confirmed to be fraudulent, officials said.

"Several consignments were released by forging the signatures and seals of various government organisations, including customs officials," Nur-e-Hasna Sanjida Anushua, assistant commissioner of Chattogram Customs, told The Daily Star.

"But this was the first attempt to release goods by forging a government website," she said, adding that it is not being investigated whether products were released in a similar fashion in the past.

However, Khan, who is also accused in the case, claims that he was not aware of any such fraudulence taking place.

"The details can be known by talking to our staff concerned," he said.

When caught committing such forgeries, C&F agents use underhanded means to have their suspensions withdrawn without an investigation by paying nominal fines, according to a source at Chattogram Customs.

After witnessing such incidents in the past, the authorities concerned are now examining all C&F licences.

Khan Enterprise has had its licence temporarily suspended for its role in forging the commerce ministry's seal and website, AKM Sultan Mahmud, deputy commissioner of Chattogram Customs and also secretary of the licensing committee, told The Daily Star.

The licence will be permanently cancelled at the end of the legal process and there will be no opportunity to secure exemption with only a nominal penalty, he said.

"If exemplary punishment had been taken for such incidents in the past, these unscrupulous individuals would not dare to forge a government website," Mahmud added.

Meanwhile, customs officials have found that Ibratas Trading Company took delivery of 29 consignments of animal feed worth Tk 50 crore by forging the signatures and seals of the Department of Livestock for duty-free facilities in February 2016.

However, the authorities concerned did not take any action against the company, other than issuing a show cause notice on the importer and its C&F agent.

On May 2019, evidence was found that four C&F agents released a total of 45 consignments of fruits, seeds and scrap iron by changing the samples which were sent to the Atomic Energy Commission for radiation testing on May 27.

They changed the samples by submitting the fake signatures and seals of customs officials and the Atomic Energy Commission officers.

Similarly, authorities found evidence against importer Mohana Enterprise and its C&F agent Kharabad Trade Overseas who were involved in taking delivery of a magnesium sulphate consignment by submitting a fake clearance report with the fake signature and seal of the Department of Agricultural Extension in October 2018.

Customs Commissioner Fakhrul Alam told The Daily Star that they are investigating these previous cases and necessary measures will be taken against those committing signature and seal fraudulence.