BMW 3 series, fully automated and super luxury Motor Car
This had been published as my 1st article in the Sunday Deshaya paper on the 28th June 2020.
This BMW 3 series, brand new, fully automated and super luxury Motor Car had been imported from Germany by a member of an influential family of both financially and politically by declaring as an used motor car defrauding the Customs duty and other levies. Having taken in to custody an inquiry was held and due to political interferences, had to release, after recovery of Rs.6,00,000/= as a mitigated further forfeiture...
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Mitsubishi Starion luxury sports motor car
Published as the 2nd article in the Sunday Deshaya paper on the 5th July 2020.
In 1986, this brand new Mitsubishi Starion 2 door coupe luxury sports motor car had been imported from Japan and declared and cleared as a Mitsubishi Gallant car defrauding the Customs duty and other levies. After the Customs inquiry this vehicle was forfeited and released on a mitigated further forfeiture of Rs.4.25.000/= equivalent to the defrauded revenue....
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Toyota Corolla sports motor car
This had been published as my 3rd article in the Sunday Deshaya paper on the 12th July 2020.
This brand new 1800 c.c.Toyota Corolla 2 door coupe sports motor car had been imported from Japan and cleared from the Customs as 1500 c.c. motor vehicle defrauding the Customs duty and other levies. Subsequently forfeited and released on a mitigated further forfeiture...
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Toyota Surf luxury Jeep
This had been published as my 4th article in the Sunday Deshaya paper on the 19th July 2020.
This Toyota Surf, Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) luxury Jeep had been imported from Japan and attempted to clear as Toyota 4x4 double cab by declaring in the Customs documents and tried to defraud the Customs duty and other levies. After a Customs inquiry and the vehicle was got forfeited...
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Illegal Import Without Documents
5th article published in the Sunday Deshaya paper on 2nd August 2020. This had been fraudulently brought in to the country without import documents and without paying Customs duty and other levies...
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Scanning Machine at the Central Mail Exchange
6th article published on the 21st Feb 2021 in the Sunday Deshaya paper. After installation of this Scanning Machine at the Central Mail Exchange, up to 31st Dec 2023, more than Rs.one billion worth of various types of Narcotics have been seized from the mail parcels/packets by the Customs Staff attached to the CME. So far nobody claimed or challenged with regard to the installation of this machine...
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Customs Investigation that Changed a Minister's Order
7th article published on the 28th February 2021 in the Sunday Deshaya paper...
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Container Weight Fraud Sparks Regulatory Action
8th article published in the Sunday Deshaya paper on 23rd May 2021 with regard to the importations of containerized food cargo in excess than the weights declared in the import documents. By way of carrying out this imposing penalties on excess weights continuously, an uncountable amount of income have been credited to the General Treasury as an additional revenue...
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The Truth About the Customs Reward Fund
On the 14th November 2021, an article had been published as the headline in the Sunday Deshaya paper and continuation in page 2 on a query made by the Committee on Public Accounts as "රේගු දඩ මුදලින් 70% ක් නිළධාරීන් බෙදාගෙන!" with regard to the Customs Reward Fund and its distribution. In that, it had said that, necessary amendments have to be made to get more revenue to the state out of the Customs Reward Fund.
On the following Sunday, 21st November 2021, as a response to the said COPA query, I published this as my 9th article in the Sunday Deshaya paper. After having published this, sent copies of this article to all members (22 MPs) by post but todate nobody responded and no amendments were made to the Customs Ordinance...
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Import Restrictions and the Foreign Exchange Crisis
Instructions had been issued by the Controller of Imports and Exports restricticting of importation of commodities due to scarcity of foreign exchange reserves in the county during that period.
I published this as my 10th article in the Sunday Deshaya paper on the 21st August 2022...
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Irregularities in Door-to-Door Cargo Delivery
11th article published on 25th September 2022 in the Sunday Deshaya paper with regard to the Customs frauds and other malpractices happening in the Door to Door cargo delivery system and proposals to minimize those irregularities...
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Violation of the Customs Ordinance in Handling Seized Narcotics
In terms of section 43 of the Customs Ordinance in force since 1806, if any goods restricted or prohibited imported or brought into the country, such goods shall be forfeited and shall be destroyed or disposed of as Director General of Customs may direct.
But, on the 10th of March, a decision had been introduced and implemented by the "National Narcotics Advisory Board" chaired by the then Deputy Minister of Defence and 18 senior public officials to the effect that narcotics seized by the officials of the Customs should be handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau. From that day onwards, narcotics seized by the officials of the Customs have been handing over to the PNB superseding the section 43 of the Customs Ordinance. Additionally, in terms of section 136 of the Customs Ordinance, if any goods liable to forfeiture under that ordinance, stop or taken by any Police officer or Grama Seva niladhari, such goods shall be conveyed to the nearest Customs office within reasonable time to be be handed over to the proper official in the Customs office.
Therefore, handing over the narcotics seized by the officials of the Customs to the PNB is a clear violation of the Customs Ordinance and though, these legal facts were brought forwarded to the consecutive Ministers of Justice and the ministry of Justice since 19th January 2023, todate no conclusion has been arrived...
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New Scanner at the VIP Terminal
Published this as my 13th article in the Sunday Deshaya paper on the 4th June 2023.
In May 2023, a Member of Parliament was apprehended by the officials of the Customs at the VIP terminal, Airport, Katunayake for attempting to brought in 3 1/2 kgs of gold and 93 smart phones without declaring to the Customs and goods had been valued at Rs.75/= millions. Goods were confiscated and a penalty had been imposed accordingly.
After this, the then President Mr.Ranil Wickramasinge whilst attending an official tour in Japan since 24th to 27 May, instructions had been issued to his Secretary to make necessary arrangements to install a Scanning Machine at the VIP terminal with the concurrence of the Director General of Customs to avoid any Customs frauds and other irregularities in future through the VIP terminal.
On the 29th May 23, sent an email to the Secretary to the President outlining that there is no necessity to install a new Scanning Machine to the VIP terminal since there is a machine already installed at the Passenger Terminal...
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Need for Customs Supervision on Mishandled Baggage
Previously, personnel baggage subsequently brought to the Airport, those had been mishandled at the final Airport should be presented to the Customs Duty Officer at the Airport for inspection and recover Customs duty and other levis if any and check for any contrabands prior to release to the relevant passenger or his/her agent authorized by the passenger. From recent past, those mishandled baggage had been delivered to the passengers locations without referring to the Customs as required by Customs rules and regulations. By following this, there were possibilities to occur various Customs frauds and other irregularities and therefore, proposal was made to introduce a procedure to submit a list of baggage with all details those were brought as mishandled baggage on the previous day to the Customs Duty Officer.
Additionally, the baggage those were left out at the Airport and taken into custody by the airline staffs, also should be handed over to the Customs Duty Officer right after documentations of those are completed...
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Gender-Based Recruitment and Its Impact on Customs Operations
From the inception of the Department of Customs in 1806 until 1993, for the vacancies of the post of Customs Officers II had been recruited Males only as per the relevant Gazette notifications and since 1993, ladies were also recruited as Assistant Superintendent of Customs II, on a condition that ladies are recruited only on the10% of the exciting vacancies. Before this, there was a post of "Female Searchers" not more than 10 were in the Customs as minor staff and their duty was to search, out going or incoming female passengers on suspicion of attempt of committing Customs frauds and other irregularities and violation of the Customs Ordinance.
But, due to insecurity and lack of facilities in some duty points, lady Superintendent of Customs are not subjected to assign duties and even staffs of the Customs are not assigned for any election duties since they serve as revenue collection officers but, ladies are entitled to 84 days maternity leave for each and every confinement and therefore, in both occasions, officers have to cover up or attend duties of the ladies in addition to their respective duties and responsibilities. This tend to create a privileged group within the Customs though both are entitled to same salary, overtime, incentives and Customs rewards.
Other than this irregularity by way of recruiting Asst. Superintendent of Customs to carry out duties performed by a minor staff, due to differences of salary scales between them, additional expenditures have to be borne by the State Consolidated Fund and 3 Funds of Overtime, Incentive and Reward Funds managed and administrated by the Customs itself...
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Unfair Delay Interest Charged by the Electricity Board
16th article in the Sunday Deshaya on the 20th October 2024. The Sri Lanka Electricity Board had initiated a system of charging their consumers a fee of "Delay Interest" via SMS instead of the printed bill provided to their customters, if they fail to pay their monthly electricity bill within the period of 14 days of the receipt of that SMS...
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Need to Regulate Foreign Currency Exchange at Airports
17th article in the Sunday Deshaya paper on the 26th January 2025 regarding the letter referred to the higher authorities of the government to control and regularize the irregularities and frauds that occur/committed in the process of exchanging foreign currency into local currency brought into the county by the passengers. My letter had been referred to the Central Bank by the Ministry of Finance...
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Stop Assembling Buses on Lorry Chassis
18th article published in the Sunday Deshaya paper on the 2nd March 2025 with regard to the proposal made by me to the authorities to avoid assembling of buses for public transport using lorry chassis causing inconveniences to the pulic which had been discussing for a long period of time in various forums...
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Correcting inappropriate terms
Published as my 19 th article on the 22nd June 2025 in the Sunday Deshaya paper regarding the use of inappropriate terms used for some Government institutions, public places, officer designations etc and the proposal made by me to the higher authorities to the way to correct those...
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