The country’s courier services are becoming a means of transporting counterfeit and used bandrolled cigarettes. A group of miscreants is using couriers as means of transport to evade revenue. These cigarettes are being sent from one district to another through courier. The VAT intelligence department launched a campaign across the country to seize tobacco products including Cigarettes, Bidis and Ghuls.

Under the direction of NBR, all VAT Commissionerates are conducting VAT intelligence operations. As part of this, officials of the VAT Audit, Intelligence and Investigation Department raided the depot of SA Paribahan in the capital’s Shantinagar. At that time, 14 bags of cigarettes in two consignments were seized from the depot on suspicion of using fake bandroll. On Sunday (August 23), Director General of VAT Detective. Moinul Khan has confirmed this information.

He said VAT detectives today seized 14 bags of cigarettes in two consignments from the depot of Shantinagar SA Paribahan in Dhaka on suspicion of using fake bandrolls. A consignment of three and a half lakh Shalakas in 12 sacks from Kushtia arrived in Dhaka in a SA Paribahan vehicle at night. The invoice has been sent to SS Traders, 8 West Majampur, Dadapur, Kushtia to Swarna Traders, Chaumuhani, Noakhali. Although there is no name of the sender and the recipient, two mobile numbers are given.

At the same time another consignment also entered the Dhaka depot from Bogra at night. Noman Chaumuhani from AB Tobacco in Bogra has been sent to Noakhali. There are two mobile numbers. The consignment contained 40,000 cigarettes. The first brand is Caesar and the other is Senorgold. Both these consignments were destined for Chaumuhani Noakhali. According to the VAT Act, no parcel had proper VAT invoice. These cigarettes have been sent to the courier to evade revenue.

The director general said that the bandrolls used by the VAT detectives in the cigarette packets of the consignment were initially confirmed to be fake by applying the light of a recognized UV light torch. It will be further verified by sending the seized samples to the Security and Printing Press.

He said the cigarettes were confiscated as the VAT invoice was not with them and the bandroll appeared to be fake. Two consignments were seized from the SA transport pool and brought to the VAT detective office. After further investigation, those concerned will be brought under the law. At the same time, SA Transport will be held accountable for transporting cigarettes without VAT invoice.