Organized syndicate behind Rs.120Mn worth smuggled cashew, coffee and cosmetics - Customs

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

An organized crime syndicate is suspected to be behind a massive stock of cashew, coffee, confectionery and cosmetics worth over Rs.120 million, smuggled into the country from Dubai and was seized by Sri Lanka Customs.

Customs Internal Affairs Unit following a lengthy probe seized three container loads that arrived at Colombo Port from Dubai in early January and had been transferred to Ceylon Shipping Line storage for clearance.

Customs spokesperson Additional Director General Seevali Arukgoda said the consignment had been addressed to several recipients in Colombo but preliminary inquiries revealed that they were to be false. Since nobody came to clear the goods, the Customs officials decided to open the containers.

Even backing of Customs officials essential to clear this much of goods

Amongst the goods were restricted perishable items like 18 metric tons of turmeric, 2, 000 kilograms of dry ginger, 1, 000 kilograms of cashew, 500 kilos of coffee, large amount of chocolates and confectioneries as well as another large stock of cosmetics, perfumes, clothes and footwear.

An official attached to the Customs Internal Affairs Unit told the Daily Mirror it is suspected a well organized syndicate is behind the smuggled goods as nobody has come forward to clear and collect them. The investigators suspect even the backing of certain Customs officials is essential to get this much of goods cleared and smuggled into the country under the nose of the authorities.

Customs Superintendents Aruna Amarasinghe and Indunil Liyanage and the team of the Internal Affairs Unit are conducting inquiries on the instructions of Customs Director General Sarath Nonis.