Customs seizes Rs.193mn worth Indonesian fags at RCT

The Customs Central Investigation Bureau officers seized 3.5 million cigarette sticks valued at Rs. 193mn at Orugodawatte Rank Container Terminal (RCT) today, Customs Spokesman Dharmasena Kahandawa said.

He said the 40-foot container including the contraband had been imported into the country from Indonesia and it had arrived at the Colombo Port on January 30 in the vessel ‘Ever Diamond’.
“The cigarettes cartons were hidden among 25 wooden dining sets,” he said.

Mr. Kahandawa said this was the second cigarette consignment that had arrived in to the country during last two months.

“The container was to be shipped to India via Colombo Port and the shipping company had submitted to Sri Lanka Customs declaring the goods as wooded dining sets,” he said.

On suspicion the Customs officers had examined the container and found 3.5 million sticks with brand name ‘DJARUM’. The container was shipped to the Colombo Port from Port Klang, Indonesia.

The container had 25 sets of Indonesian wooden dining tables, which included 25 tables and 100 chairs filling half the container. The other half was packed with boxes containing cigarette cartons.

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.

After customs investigations the cigarette consignment and wooden dining tables to be confiscated ,Mr Dharmasena said.

Investigations were carried out by Customs Superintendents M.D. Prasantha Kumara, G.B. Gnanaraj, R.A.D. Srinatha, L.W. Rubasinghe and Assistant customs Superintendent S.D.S.D. Jayawardane on the instructions of Customs Directors K.A. Ruwan Pathirana Customs Director General Chulananda Perera (Chaturanga Pradeep)

Pix by Kushan Pathiraja