Five cases filed over liquor haul seizure

The Chittagong Customs House has filed five cases in connection with the seizure of five containers of illegally imported foreign liquor from Chittagong port and Narayanganj.

The goods were imported through the Chittagong port under false declaration paper and tax evasion.

The cases were filed on July 30 and July 31 with Bandar police station under Chattogram Metropolitan Police.

Jahedul Kabir, officer-in-charge of the police station, said that five customs officials filed separate cases in connection with the liquor haul seizure.

“Police have started investigating the cases.”

Officials at the Chittagong Customs House said revenue officers Mahmudul Hasan, Abdur Rauf, Wahiduzzaman, Mehdi Hasan bin Azad, and Nurul Huda were the plaintiffs of the cases.

Top officials of Dong Jin Industrial (BD) Company Ltd of Nilphamari Uttara Export Processing Zone (EPZ), VIP Industries Bangladesh Pvt of Mongla EPZ in Bagerhat, BHK Textile Mills Ltd of Ishwardi EPZ, Hashy Tiger Company Limited of Cumilla EPZ, and clearing and forwarding agent Zafar Ahmed and his employee have been made accused in the cases.

Besides, several foreign nationals, mainly the Chinese citizens, and officials of industries in the export processing zones across the country have also been prosecuted.

Saiful Haque, deputy commissioner (audit investigation and research) of Chittagong Customs House, said that several Import Permits (IPs) were used to import the containers, which were issued in the names of various industries in the EPZs.

Although a preliminary investigation has proved some of the IPs to be false, the cases have included names of officials of the importing firms to probe into their involvement, he added.

Within four days from July 23, the customs officials and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members seized three containers of foreign liquors from Chittagong port and two containers from Narayanganj after those were released from the port.

The importers tried to evade revenue of Tk 57.83 crore through the consignments.

According to the case statement, the criminal gang used the password of a customs official to get access to the customs system.