Customs officials have detected 1,174.724 metric tonnes of slag in excess of the declared quantity on board a vessel carrying an imported consignment for Bashundhara Readymix and Construction Ltd at Mongla Port.

The vessel, MV ANASSA, arrived at Mongla Port on Sept 1 and was carrying slag for the company. According to the bill of lading, the declared quantity of the consignment was 24,000 metric tonnes.

However, a preliminary light load survey conducted by customs officials in cooperation with the shipping agent and survey and marine engineers found that the vessel was carrying around 25,464.682 metric tonnes of slag, according to a press release issued by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Tuesday.

Following objections from the importer and parties associated with the vessel, customs authorities arranged a second joint survey to verify the actual quantity of the cargo.

The subsequent light draft survey finally established that the vessel was carrying 25,174.724 metric tonnes of slag.

This means the actual quantity of the imported cargo exceeded the declared amount by 1,174.724 metric tonnes.

The customs authorities have initially estimated that the additional cargo could involve a potential revenue shortfall of around Tk 34.22 lakh.

The NBR said the discrepancy was detected through customs officials’ vigilance, data-based analysis and capacity to verify the actual quantity of imported cargo.

The incident highlights the importance of physical verification of imported consignments, particularly where discrepancies between declared and actual cargo quantities may result in revenue leakage.

The customs authorities’ verification enabled them to identify the additional quantity and assess its potential revenue implications.