No vehicles imported violating restrictions on vehicle imports: Customs

The Sri Lanka Customs Department today said that the two Cadillac Escalade vehicles that were being transported in a car carrier on the expressway were not imported violating the restriction on vehicle imports.

Customs Deputy Director (Legal) and media spokesman Sudatta Silva said this in response to a video clip that circulated on social media claiming that two luxury vehicles were spotted on the expressway being transported in a car carrier.

He said Sri Lanka Customs today informed the public that the said vehicles have been imported by a Sri Lankan vehicle repairing factory registered under the Board of Investment (BOI) in Kaduwela for re-export purposes after value addition. 

On February 11, 2022, the company processed the necessary documents to re-export two Cadillac Escalade vehicles to the United Kingdom on the vessel Mac Maria Saveria, scheduled to arrive on February 16, 2022, he said.

The transport of the two vehicles was filmed by a person from another vehicle which was following the car carrier on the expressway.

The person who filmed the incident also questioned how these vehicles were brought into the country at a time when the import of vehicles has been banned. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)