Businessman remanded until Feb 25 over tax fraud

A businessman who was arrested and later released on bail over an import tax fraud  has been ordered to be remanded until February 25.

Charges have been levelled against the suspect for importing a container of beedi leaves under the pretext of importing apparel from Bangladesh into the country.

He was produced before court and was ordered by Additional Magistrate Lochana Jayawickrama to be further remanded since there was a delay in releasing the suspect on bail. Measures were taken to remand the suspect after reconsidering the Customs Ordinance Act.

The suspect has been identified as Noordeen Fazal Ahamed. He was arrested while attempting to clear his consignment weighing 12 tonnes without following due proceedure.

Court also heard that the government had suffered a loss of Rs 40 million as a result of this fraud.

Meanwhile, customs department officials said that the businessman had attempted to import the shipment of beedi into the country and later export it to Italy via an air cargo. 

Further, the suspect has also been accused of committing a similar fraud while importing pepper and arecanut and attempting to export it to another country.