COLOMBO: The Customs Central Investigation Bureau officers seized 1.3 million cigarettes valued at Rs. 75 mn at Orugodawatte Rank Container Terminal (RCT), Customs Spokesman Dharmasena Kahandawa said. The contraband had been imported into the country from China in the vessel MSC Erika on December 5 and the consignment had arrived in a 20-foot container hidden in 57 spring mattresses, he said.
Kahandawa said that it was the second time in the history that an illicit cigarette consignment packed in a 20-foot container was detected by the Sri Lanka Customs. Previously two 20-foot containers had been seized in single detection few years ago, which held the record of the highest number of sticks, he said. This time Customs sleuths found 1.3 million sticks of cigarettes of two Chinese brands. Earlier, the largest single detection of illicit cigarette consignment in history, estimated to be over Rs.355 million in values, was seized by the Customs Post Clearance and Audit Division on January 9, 2015, the day following the Presidential Elections.
While addressing media the Customs Director General Chulananda Perera said that it was illegal to import cigarettes from other countries but cigarettes were not illegal in the country. “This consignment must have been brought to the country due to the need of the Chinese people, who live in the country,” he said. “The importer had not submitted declarations to the Customs in this regard. We understand that a Chinese national residing in Sri Lanka is behind in this smuggle racket and has already been identified and he is being now questioned,” he said. Another Chinese national who was involved in a similar case had his visa to Sri Lanka suspended forever by the Immigration and Emigration Director General following a request from the Customs to prevent illegal cigarettes imports.
Due to several imports and raids the cigarette imports had increased in the country and a huge market had been created in the country due to the increment of the price of a cigarette in the local market, he said. The Director General requested importers to not to resort to illegal routes to import their goods. “We have provided all the facilities to genuine importers and if importers continued to violate the law the Customs will tighten the facilities,” he said. Investigations were conducted by the Customs Superintendent G.B. Gnanaraj, Assistant Superintendent Ms. Wasana Rubasinghe, Prasantha Kumara and Dilina Srinatha on the direction of Customs Director General Chulananda Perera and K. D. Ruwanpathirana.
