Customs intercepts Range Rover, BMW cars declared as ‘used car parts’ at Mongla

Customs intelligence officials have intercepted four luxury vehicles brought through Mongla Port in separate pieces and declared as “used car parts”, according to the National Board of Revenue.

Dhaka-based Crown Auto Mobile Services imported the vehicles after they had been cut into several large sections and declared them as used parts, the NBR said in a statement on Thursday.

A physical inspection by customs officials, assisted by experts from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority and Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, determined that the shipments comprised complete luxury vehicles rather than ordinary spare parts, according to the NBR.

Artificial intelligence was also used to assist with the identification, it said.

The four vehicles imported from Japan were a Range Rover Vogue, a BMW 650i, a Lexus LX570 and a Toyota Crown Athlete.

The NBR estimated their combined market value in Bangladesh at between Tk 45 million and Tk 67.5 million.

However, the invoice declared a dutiable value of only around Tk 1 million by listing the shipments as individual parts, with duties and taxes amounting to around Tk 600,000, according to the revenue authority.

The inspection found that major sections of the vehicles, including the front, rear and roof, remained assembled with wiring and sensors intact, allowing the vehicles to be reconstructed after import.

Customs intelligence officials said that although the vehicles had been imported in pieces, the components retained the essential characteristics of complete cars and should therefore be assessed for duties and taxes as complete vehicles under the applicable rules.

The amount of duty and tax allegedly sought to be evaded will be determined after the customs assessment is completed.

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department has recommended further investigation and legal action over the imports.