Seven containers of ethanol seized

by Kurulu Kariyakarawana

Customs Department has launched a major investigation into an attempt to smuggle in a large stock of Ethanol worth millions of rupees into the country in seven container loads declared as tar or technically known as Bitumen.

The consignment had come in hundreds of barrels in seven 20 foot container loads arrived at the Colombo Port on November 27 from Malaysia. The goods addressed to a local consignee in Bandaragama had been declared as tar.

The consignment was transferred to Customs container yard in Orugodawatta where it was searched by Customs officials who found Ethanol instead of tar.

Customs Spokesman Director Leslie Gamini said the first two rows of the barrels contained Bitumen whereas the rest contained Ethanol. The Customs is currently engaged in checking the other container loads as well. Ethanol which is used to manufacture alcoholic beverages has to be imported under a special permission of the Excise Department.

The consignment is believed to have been declared under a different name to evade a huge tax from the Excise and Customs Departments.