Ctg customs seize cigarettes, chocolates declared as ‘mushrooms’

Customs House Chattogram today seized two containers of cigarettes and chocolates which were falsely declared as either mushrooms or sweetcorn.

Customs officials said they would be able to ascertain the exact value of the seized products on completion of the inventory within a day or two.

Nur-e-Hasna Sanjida Anushua, assistant commissioner of customs, told The Daily Star that the importers and the C&F agents announced the products as mushrooms and sweetcorn, but the containers were full of cigarettes and chocolates. 

Customs sources said Chattogram-based importer Bangla Vina Enterprise declared 17 tonnes of mushrooms from Malaysia, which arrived at Chattogram port in the beginning of this year.

Another consignment was imported by Samit Trading International, a Dhaka-based importer, as 10.5 tonnes of sweetcorn from Singapore, which arrived last Saturday.

Neither of the companies could be reached for comments.

Acting on a tip-off, customs officials performed a physical examination and found the containers had cigarettes and chocolates.

The tax rates for sweetcorn and mushrooms are 43 and 50 percent, while it is up to 120 and 150 for chocolates and cigarettes, officials said.

According to the rules, if the quality of the cigarettes is found to be perfect, the consignment will be sold to Bangladesh Tourism Corporation. Otherwise it will be destroyed.

In the meantime, forgery and money-laundering cases will be filed against the companies involved, the assistant commissioner of customs said.