Customs officials have seized 1,655 mobile phones, estimated to be worth around Tk 5 crore, from a consignment declared as knit fabrics at the airfreight area of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The consignment, imported in the name of Thianis Apparels Limited, arrived from Hong Kong and contained the phones concealed in or among rolls of fabric, according to preliminary information from the NBR press release.
The seized phones include 450 Redmi 14C handsets, 150 Redmi 15C handsets and another 1,055 old iPhones and phones of various Chinese brands.
According to air cargo system records, the consignment was covered by Master Air Waybill (MAWB) No. 828-5678-2412 and House Air Waybill (HAWB) No. JGL57203. The consignee was listed as THIANIS APPARELS LIMITED, while the nature of goods was declared as “KNIT FABRICS”.
The consignment weighed 895kg and comprised 20 packages. It arrived in Dhaka on Aug 31 aboard flight RH-6651.
The House Air Waybill identified Zhejiang Shaoxing Xinhua Knitting Compsny as the shipper, while Janco Global Logistics Ltd. was mentioned in the Master Air Waybill. F F Cargo Service was listed as the freight forwarder.
The discrepancy between the declared goods and the actual contents is significant. While the cargo records described the goods as “KNIT FABRICS,” another note mentioned “P COVER G ROLL CRT”. During inspection, customs officials found a large quantity of mobile phones concealed with the declared fabric consignment.
Officials suspect the consignment involves misdeclaration and concealment of goods to evade applicable customs duties and taxes.
The authorities are expected to determine the exact models and IMEI numbers of the seized phones and establish whether they are new or used. Their actual market value and the amount of applicable duties and taxes will also be assessed.
The final financial implications of the seizure will become clear after the detailed inventory and valuation are completed.
The seizure comes amid continued customs vigilance at the airport’s airfreight facilities to detect attempts to bring undeclared or misdeclared commercial goods into the country.