Customs seize Tk 20m 'fake' mobile phones in city

Customs intelligence agency Saturday seized a total of 275 "fake and smuggled" mobile phones from different places including from the city's Bashundhara market amid stiff agitation by the shop owners.

The shop owners and sales persons of the mobile phone show rooms of the Bashundhara City Shopping Complex confined officials of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) for five hours and set fire on the road, protesting the sudden drive.

Later, both parties reached a consensus over the issue after the CIID  team assured shop owners of showing the relevant documents to prove that the seized phones are "smuggled and fake."

Talking to the FE Saturday, director general of the CIID Md Shahidul Islam said the IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) of the imported mobile set has been scrutinised to find out the fake and smuggled sets.

"We have carried out the drive after being confirmed about the sale of unauthorised mobile sets," he said.

The CIID boss said his agency would take legal action under its 'zero tolerance policy' against the persons involved in smuggling or marketing of fake mobile phone sets.

"The government is losing a large amount of revenue due to the import of fake mobile phones and its smuggling. The CIID will continue its crackdown regularly to stop the malpractice," he said.

Md Shajib, a sales person of R.M Trading at Bashundhara, said the CIID team seized 28 pieces of mobile phone handsets worth Tk 1.7 million, mainly iPhone, from their shop.

"The CIID team has sought import documents. As we purchased the phones from importers, we could not show the import-stage tax payment documents to them," he said.

Another salesman, preferring anonymity, said the CIID people seized i-Phones worth Tk 15 million from their shop.

"This is not the first time. The CIID team had earlier seized the I-phone with an allegation that those are smuggled and fake," he said.

He said that they have procured the phones after payment of due taxes to the government.

The CIID also conducted a crackdown in Uttara, Gulshan and Mohakhali area of the city to seize iPhone.

A statement of the CIID said it had seized the mobile handsets worth Tk 20 million from those places.

Of the handsets, 133 are iPhone, 125 HTC, 15 LG, one Apple watch 01 and a single iPad.

The shop and show room authorities could not show the import documents to the customs intelligence team, it said.

The team also arrested seven persons from TJ Group showroom of Mohakhali for allegedly being involved in manufacturing fake iPhone.

They also arrested two persons on the same ground from Talukdar Mobile Link at Uttara North Tower.

The CIID is taking preparation for filing criminal cases against the arrested persons in the drive.

Elite force Rapid Action Battalion accompanied the customs intelligence team during the drive.

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