4 Dhaka cos siphon off Tk382cr in guise of export: CIID 

Four companies, based in Dhaka, have allegedly siphoned off around Tk382 crores in the guise of readymade garment exports, claims the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID). 

CIID, in a briefing on Tuesday, claimed that the four companies – Sabiha Saiki Fashion, Asia Trading Corporation, Emu Trading Corporation, and Ilham Trading Corporation – exported goods by forging export permissions. 

For this, the foreign currencies in exchange for the exported products did not return to the country, CIID officials say. 

Mohammad Fakhrul Alam, the director general of CIID, said "During an operation carried out in North Patenga in Chattogram city on 31 January, customs officials found initial evidence of the forgery done by Sabiha Saiki Fashion. They checked its nine consignments kept in seven containers and found multiple undeclared products there."

According to the export declaration, the company will export T-shirts and women's wear. But in the consignments, they found children's wear, jeans pants, leggings, shirts, and shawls, the CIID Director General said. 

These companies have exported various products including t-shirts, tops, ladies' dresses, trousers, baby sets, bags, polo shirts, jackets, pants, and hoodies to United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Singapore, Qatar, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria.

Later, the Joint Director of Chittagong Customs Intelligence formed an eight-member committee to investigate the matter.

Referring to the information received during the investigation, Mohammad Fakhrul Alam said Sabiha Saiki Fashion exported 86 consignments of goods at different times. The exchange value of the products exported by this organisation was Tk18.45 crore.  

On perusal of the documents of the consignments of the goods, the probe body found that the Export Permissions (EXPs) issued by them were in the names of different companies. But a permit cannot be used for more than one export shipment.

There is no opportunity to bring foreign currency back to the country in a legal way as these multiple EXPs are not functional, Fakhrul Alam said.

The investigation also revealed that alongside Sabiha Saiki Fashion, three other exporters have committed similar fraud. 

"The four have committed similar fraud in shipments of 1,780 products, weighing 18,265 tonnes, using the same tactic. The declared value of their exports is now Tk382 crores," the CIID boss said. 

Out of this, Sabiha Saiki Fashion exported goods worth Tk21 crore, Asia Trading Corporation Tk282 crore, Emu Trading Corporation Tk62 crore, and Ilham Corporation Tk17 crore.