Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) officials have seized 349 cartons of foreign cigarettes, 380kg of banned beauty creams and one litre of foreign liquor in three separate drives at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, with the total value including applicable customs duties and taxes estimated at nearly Tk 1.78 crore.

The seizures were made in two operations targeting arriving passengers and another operation at the airport’s Foreign Post Office, according to CIID officials.
In the first operation on Monday, CIID’s airport circle A-shift team, acting on a tip-off, conducted a special drive on passengers arriving from Dubai on Emirates flights EK582 and EK586.

The team seized 170 cartons of cigarettes, 9kg of banned cream and one litre of foreign liquor from three passengers.

The cigarettes had an assessable value of Tk 6.80 lakh, while applicable duties and taxes at 621 percent amounted to Tk 42.23 lakh. The liquor had an assessable value of Tk 20,000, with applicable duties and taxes at 610.30 percent amounting to Tk 1.22 lakh.
The seized banned cream was valued at Tk 1.80 lakh.

The total value of the goods seized in the operation, including duties and taxes, was Tk 52.25 lakh.

In another operation, CIID’s A-shift team seized 179 cartons of cigarettes and 52kg of banned cream from passengers of Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG148, which arrived from Dubai on Aug 11.

The cigarettes had an assessable value of Tk 7.16 lakh, with applicable duties and taxes at 621 percent amounting to Tk 44.46 lakh. The seized banned cream had an assessable value of Tk 10.40 lakh.

The total value of the goods seized in the second operation, including applicable duties and taxes, stood at Tk 62.02 lakh.

Meanwhile, CIID officials conducted a separate drive at the airport’s Foreign Post Office on Monday following a tip-off and seized a large consignment containing 319kg of imported beauty cream, which is prohibited for import.

The estimated market value of the consignment is Tk 63.80 lakh. Legal proceedings, including filing a case, are underway in connection with the seizure.
According to CIID, the combined assessable or market value of the goods seized in the three operations was Tk 90.16 lakh, while applicable customs duties and taxes amounted to Tk 87.91 lakh.

The combined value of the seized goods, including duties and taxes, was Tk 1.78 crore.

CIID officials said such operations are being conducted regularly to prevent smuggling and the illegal import of restricted and duty-evading goods through the country’s major international gateway.