COLOMBO: Customs Director General Chulalananda Perera or top ranking customs officers had not so far ordered the customs officials to seize 62 vehicles illegally assembled by Vehicles Lanka PVT Ltd, Jayapalawatte, Minuwangoda.
Sri Lanka Customs Central Investigations Bureau (CIB) raided the car sale yard on July 11, 2016 and uncovered mega vehicle racket amounting to Rs. 248 million. The investigators are helpless as the DG has not directed them to seize the vehicles. Acting on a tip-off the CIB found 25 out of 62 illegall assembled vehicles. Customs sources told The Island that the Customs DG had not yet instructed his officers to seize those vehicles and fine the businessman concerned who would have to pay thrice the value of the vehicles.
The 62 vehicles were assembled there illegally after being imported in a dismantled state as vehicle spare parts.
The owner of the company had been engaged in the racket for many years and had had a number of court cases against him, the Customs said.
Customs unions request the government and the Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake to take action against the fraudulent businessman and recover the huge revenue the state had lost due to the racket and bring the culprit to justice.
