The incident of export fraud and disappearance of containers through fake or empty (empty) containers at Chittagong port has recently created quite a stir.
This discussion is mainly centered on two separate but important incidents.
Fake export of Tk 5.5 crore in empty containers seized
Recently, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department has caught a major fraud of showing ready-made garment exports worth about Tk 5.43 crore (438 thousand dollars) in documents without sending the goods to the off-dock/depot at Chittagong port.
5 containers of an exporting company named ‘Valmont Fashions Limited’ were supposed to be loaded on ships from the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines.
Although all the documents for exporting goods were in order on the customs server, physical examination revealed that no goods were loaded into the containers—the containers were completely empty.b
Those concerned know that such empty container shipments are usually used for illegal money laundering (Trade Misinvoicing), selling duty-free raw materials in the open market, and embezzling government incentives by showing false exports. This incident come out on public 7th September.
On the other hand, a container with export-oriented raw materials worth 3 crore taka has disappeared at Chittagong Port, when an entire 40-foot container filled with raw materials brought from the yard for the export-oriented garment industry (Gold Star Garments) disappeared.
After paying all the duties on 668 bales of fabrics worth 3 crore taka brought for the ready-made garment factory, the container is no longer found.
Due to the lack of a container, it has become uncertain to send ready-made garments to foreign buyers on time. The port authority has formed a 6-member joint investigation committee into the incident.
Questions on security and digital management
C&F agents and traders have expressed intense anger and a lack of security over how empty containers without goods were allowed to board ships or how the entire container disappeared from the high-security Chittagong Port and private ICD (depot). Customs intelligence agencies are investigating the role of C&F agents, depots and officials involved in the entire process. This has sparked various rumors in the general business community. Above all, various questions have been raised in various quarters about the port’s security system and supervision. If this incident also come out on public but C&F agent issued a letter to CPAP chairman on 3 September.
When Port Secretary Refayet Hamim was called to find out why these problems exist and what is the way out of them, he did not respond.