FT ONLINE

The Chattogram Customs House on Wednesday sued two importing firms for their alleged involvement in misdeclaration and capital flight. 

Two officials of the customs house filed two separate cases with the port city's Bandar police station under the Money Laundering Act.

Customs authorities on Thursday briefed reporters on this issue. 

According to the First Information Report of the case filed against the Chattogram-based company Lucky Trading, the firm was supposed to import 965,685 kilogram of mustard seed in August 2016, as per the import declaration. 

But only 10,250 kilograms of seed was found while checking the imported consignment physically on September 4 the same year. 

The firm thus transferred around Tk3.26 crore illegally, the customs authorities claimed.

The owner of Lucky Trading Md Yousuf Chowdhury, and the owner of HK & Co, the involved clearing and forwarding (C&F) agency Tahera Akter Mariam, its Managing Director Shahid Ullah, and two directors Morshedul Alam and Ohid Ullah, were accused in the case. 

Another case was filed against the Dhaka-based company Ikhlas Traders, as the firm imported high-valued products through misdeclaration. It also discharged the consignment illegally by falsifying the signatures of the customs officials concerned. 

However, the Audit Investigation and Research wing of the Chattogram Customs House sensed the irregularities and immediately confiscated the consignment on December 20, the day the consignment was discharged. 

The owner of Ikhlas Trader Kazi Jahidul Islam, and the owner of Tanzina International Alamgir Sarkar, the concerned C&F agency, were accused in the case. 

Officer-in-Charge of Bandar police station Sukanta Chakrabarty confirmed the matter, saying the customs officials will investigate the two cases under the Money Laundering Act.