Customs detected the attempt and took the container into security custody.
TBS Report
17 October, 2026, 08:55 pm
Last modified: 17 October, 2026, 09:06 pm
An importer and its clearing agent have been accused of an unusual fraud, tampering with a customs lock and using a counterfeit seal in an attempt to remove a container that had been locked in Customs' ASYCUDA World software for physical examination over suspicions about the consignment.
Customs detected the attempt and took the container into security custody. The allegations have been made against Kaf Corporation of Chawkbazar, Old Dhaka, and the C&F agent it hired.
In a press release issued today (17 October), the National Board of Revenue (NBR) said the attempt to remove the container involved forged signatures of Chattogram Customs House officials who had since been transferred, along with various other fraudulent schemes.
The release said the matter was detected on 19 September, after which the container was taken into security custody and a detailed examination began.
It said that, ahead of the scheduled physical examination, the genuine seal listed on the bill of lading was broken and replaced with a different one in an attempt to remove the container.
A Chattogram Customs House official described such fraud in imports as rare.
Speaking to The Business Standard on condition of anonymity, the official said a committee had been formed to look into the matter. "The committee is working to establish the facts, and the truth will likely be known soon," he said.
"The goods probably came from China. The exporter, the importer, the importer's C&F agent, and someone at the port or Customs could be involved," he added.
Explaining the lock, the official said every container carrying a consignment is assigned a unique lock number before import. This number is matched against the bill of lading when the container is examined, to confirm that the container belongs to that bill of lading.
Suspicion arose when a discrepancy was found during the container's examination.
Meanwhile, the NBR release said officials of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) had found evidence that Kaf Corporation had imported goods under a false declaration in another consignment.
The shipment from China was declared as 22.5 tonnes of ordinary toothpicks, but only 1,620 kg of toothpicks were actually found. In place of the remaining 15.7 tonne were Pakistan's "Gori Beauty Cream," which contains harmful chemicals and is banned by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution, as well as face creams, sun creams, anti-ageing gels, hair-removal sprays, premium sunglasses and "delay sprays" sold as sexual stimulants.
The NBR said the potential evaded revenue is estimated at around Tk2.8 crore. The importer and the C&F agent's representatives could not be reached for comment on the allegations