Chattogram Correspondent

A huge quantity of foreign cigarette rolling papers and illegal tax payment acknowledgement stamps were seized Thursday from a port city godown owned by Chattogram City Corporation’s (CCC) former councillor and panel mayor Abdus Sabur Liton.

Former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel was a partner of the councillor in the illicit business, media reported earlier. The illegal operation allowed them to evade Tk5,000 crore in taxes.

Sources said a team of the Customs Intelligence and Vat carried out a drive at the godown located in the port city’s Halishahar area on Thursday afternoon.

Liton’s brother Abdul Mannan is also owner of the godown and the duo used to live at their residence, beside the building hosting the godown.

Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) Joint Director Saifur Rahman told media that they seized huge quantity of illegal cigarette tax payment acknowledgement stamps and foreign rolling papers from the godown.

Counting of the seized items was going on when this report was being filed on Thursday night.

Mentionable, Sabur and former education minister Nowfel have been accused of orchestrating a large-scale counterfeit cigarette scam, evading Tk5,000 crore in taxes and duties.

Sources reveal that the duo operated through two companies – Bijoy International and Tara International – to manufacture cigarettes using counterfeit band rolls of foreign companies and distribute them across the country.

This operation allowed them to dodge Value Added Tax (VAT) and supplementary duties, depriving the state of massive revenue.

These entities have been accused of purchasing raw materials and manufacturing fake cigarettes in factories located in Chakaria, Cox’s Bazar, and Shibpur, Kishoreganj. The fake cigarettes, labelled as foreign brands, were distributed nationwide using counterfeit band rolls.

The companies also reportedly engaged in tax evasion by importing raw materials under the names of non-existent or anonymous entities. The also used stamps of cigarette boxes, which falsely certified tax payments.