The Chittagong Customs Authority on Thursday seized 39 tonnes of contraband poppy seed valued at Tk 3.45 crore from Chittagong port.
Assistant revenue officer Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal said, on a tip-off, they seized the consignment of poppy seeds from two containers at the yard of New-mooring Container Terminal in the morning.
AB Enterprise Limited of Santinagar and Uniget (BD) Limited of Malibag in the capital imported the containers, declaring the poppy seeds as mustard seeds, he said, adding the consignment had reached the port from Pakistan in April.
Revenue officer Omar Faroque said they had kept the consignment in the custody of the Chittagong Port Authority, sealing off the containers.
He said, although poppy seeds were available on the local market, the item was illegal.
He estimated the worth of the seized consignment at Tk 3.45 crore on the domestic market and said they would serve show-cause notices to the importers as there was no provision for importing poppy seeds.
'Punitive measures will be taken against the importers after we receive their response to the show-cause notices,' Omar added.
Source : New Age
