The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID), Chittagong Regional Office, has seized three luxury cars in Cox’s Bazar over allegations that they were imported as parts and later assembled locally into complete vehicles.
The seized vehicles are a Toyota Supra, a Honda Civic and a Mazda MX-5.
Acting on a tip-off, a CIID team conducted a raid near the Ocean Paradise Hotel and Resort on Kolatoli Road in Cox’s Bazar on the night of August 27 and seized the three vehicles.
According to the CIID, the vehicles were allegedly brought into the country by declaring them as parts and were later assembled locally as complete cars.
During the operation, CIID officials also found that the vehicles were carrying markings reading “SINH4”, “S4FIAT” and “ESH4H” instead of conventional registration number plates.
The vehicles were seized under Section 191 of the Customs Act, 2023, pending verification of their import documents, ownership, customs declarations, payment of duties and taxes, and the legality of their local assembly, said a press release issued by the NBR.
The authorities suspect that the vehicles may have been imported by declaring different components as parts rather than as complete vehicles.
The investigation will determine whether the actual nature of the goods was concealed, false or incorrect declarations were made, or customs duties and taxes were evaded.
Section 33(2) of the Customs Act, 2023, may also be applicable if it is found that false information, statements or documents, or collusion, resulted in lower assessment of customs duties or charges or an erroneous refund.
If the investigation establishes that the vehicles were imported under the guise of other goods or through false or incorrect declarations, action will be taken under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 2023.
Five people have been identified as being linked to the vehicles: Hasibur Rahman Sinha of Cox’s Bazar, Azmain Raihan and Sharafat Rahman of Gazipur, and Nakibul Hasan and Sifiat Mahmud of Dhaka.
However, the investigation is still underway, and the authorities are verifying the ownership of the vehicles, their use, the individuals’ involvement in the import process and their roles.
Investigators will also determine how the different components entered Bangladesh and where and how they were subsequently assembled into complete vehicles.