A suspected export fraud involving a shipment declared to contain more than 121 tonnes of goods worth Tk 5.43 crore has been uncovered. A physical inspection at the declared container depot found no trace of even a single kilogram of the goods. Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate has detained five purported export consignments of Valmont Fashions Limited, a ready-made garment factory, in connection with the case.

Mohammad Al Amin Sheikh, public relations officer of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), disclosed the information in a press release on Monday (September 7).

According to the release, the five consignments were declared to contain 121 tonnes and 175 kilograms of goods for export. The export value of the goods was declared at US$438,304, equivalent to Tk 54,299,992 in Bangladeshi currency.

The five consignments of Valmont Fashions came under the scrutiny of customs intelligence officials on September 3 during the verification of export consignments through the customs department’s import-export management system. Preliminary verification found discrepancies in the destinations, types of goods and declared weights. The consignments were subsequently detained and an investigation was launched.

According to the export declarations, the goods were supposed to be exported from a container depot operated under Isak Brothers Industries Limited. Customs intelligence officials subsequently conducted an on-site inspection of the depot.

Although the depot authorities and the representatives responsible for handling and transporting the goods were instructed to present the declared goods for inspection, they were unable to produce any of them. The concerned parties later stated that the goods declared for export had never entered the depot.

A preliminary analysis by customs intelligence also found discrepancies between the quantity of raw materials imported by Valmont Fashions over the past year and the quantity of goods declared for export.

For bonded establishments, there is a prescribed calculation of the amount of goods that should be produced and exported against the imported raw materials. Authorities are examining whether the quantity declared in the five detained consignments is consistent with those calculations.

The United Arab Emirates and the Philippines were mentioned as the destinations of the consignments. Authorities are verifying the authenticity of the buyers, types and values of the goods, export-related documents and destinations.

The investigation is examining not only the role of the exporter but also that of the representatives involved in handling and transporting the goods, the container depot and others connected with the export process. A key focus of the investigation is how customs procedures related to the exports were completed even though the goods had never entered the depot.

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate said legal action would be taken against those found involved based on the information and evidence obtained during the investigation.