Container of illegally imported liquor seized at Chattogram port

Chattogram Customs House has seized a container of illegally imported liquor at the port.
The consignment was allegedly brought in under a false declaration by the Narayanganj-based export-oriented company “Supreme Smart Wear Limited”.
Customs officials said they were were cataloguing the seized items and are yet to determine the exact amount of liquor.
There will be a press briefing in this regard later in the day, reports our local correspondent.
According to the import documents, the consignment was declared as synthetic fabrics from China, arriving at the port in December last year. Hafez Trading Pvt Limited, the C&F agent, responsible for releasing the three consignments as mentioned in the documents.
While import permissions allow certain goods to be imported duty-free for the manufacture of exports, a duty of 605.80 percent must be paid for importing liquor, even with proper permissions, customs officials clarified. Despite multiple attempts, neither the importers nor the C&F agent could be reached for comment.
Mohammad Fyzur Rahman, a customs official, told The Daily Star, “We initially found a syndicate trying to release the goods from the port through false declarations. A case will be filed once the physical examination of the container is completed.”
However, after the report was published online, Supreme Smart Wear Limited, in a rejoinder, rejected the allegation against it saying it always “upheld the highest standards of legal compliance and ethical business standards.”
“It is important to note that SSWL has been non-operative and closed since 19 Sep 2023, and as such, no exports or imports have been conducted by our company since that date. We suspect that our company’s name has been fraudulently used by a syndicate attempting to release goods under a false declaration.”