By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

Sri Lanka Customs yesterday thwarted an attempt to smuggle four container loads of readymade garments worth over Rs.150 million imported from Malaysia, which had been falsely declared as fabric.   

Officials of the Customs Revenue Task Force (RTF) Mobile Branch commenced investigations when on a tip off they searched four 40 foot containers that arrived in the Colombo Port from Malaysia recently.   

The containers had been sent to three different consignees through the same clearing agency and the officials decided to open and search them as they felt suspicious about their nature, Customs sources said. 

 
The Customs sleuths found 33, 000 to 44, 000 readymade garments in each container and altogether seized 160, 000 pieces in all four containers. The consignees of the contraband had been identified as residents of Panadura, Wattala and Maradana.   

Senior Director Customs RTF Nimal Samaratunga and Senior Deputy Director Nalin Premaratne are conducting further investigations with Customs Superintendents N S Kumanayake, Shanthini Dinesh, Aruna Shantha Amarasinghe, Y B L Indika, Deputy Superintendents B M B G Wijegunawardena, V V Gunasekara, J M C C Jayakadu, Assistant Superintendents H M D C Herath, Inspectors Y P N Manchanayake, A B S Jayamal, K S A Dhananjaya and Guards R J K H Ranatunga, D M G P Malinda and G M N K Wijeratne.   

The seized items were displayed to the State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya yesterday.   

The sum of tax revenue the Customs would have incurred if the cargo was cleared undetected was Rs.60 million. The goods will be forfeited following the inquiries, the sources said.