Pankaj Dastider:

An investigation committee formed by the Chittagong Customs Commissioner has started probing the delivery of cargo-laden containers from the Chittagong Port using passwords of retired Customs officials.

The committee headed by joint commissioner of the Chittagong Custom House (CCH) HM Shariful Hassan has been assigned to scrutinise last five years' import documents to find out how 295 cargo-laden containers were taken out using the passwords of the retired Customs officials.

Commissioner Dr AKM Nuruzzaman formed the six member committee yesterday (Thursday), officials said. Other members of the probe committee are deputy commissioner Babul Iqbal, deputy commissioner Fatema Khairun Noor, assistant programmer Md Quamrul Hoq and assistant revenue officer Nayan Chandra Roy. Assistant commissioner Nurun Nahar Lili will act as member secretary of the probe committee.

Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Custom House Nahid Mukul confirmed the formation of the probe committee to the FE this afternoon. The committee will also identify relevant officers and staff, C&F (clearing and forwarding) agents and importers.

Criminal cases will be filed against the already-identified C&F agents and the likely wrongdoers after investigation, sources said, adding the committee will submit its findings and recommendations within 10 working days.

Officials said the committee members will scrutinise each IGM (import general manifest) submitted through the ASYCUDA World System, automation introduced in the Custom House, the submitted bills of lading (B/L) of the consignments and other relevant documents from September 01, 2013.

The investigation committee will also enquire why the ID and password of a retired revenue officer of the house was not blocked by the official.

The officials said a Dhaka-based enterprise imported some containerised cargo through Chittagong Port in June 2018.

Suspecting contraband items, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department instructed the Chittagong Customs authority to conduct physical examination and not to give delivery of the consignment.

The physical examination was delayed mysteriously.

After four months, the Customs officials went to conduct physical examination of the consignment only to find the containers delivered.

On primary investigation, they came to learn that the ID and password of an official, who was formerly a revenue officer at the House, has been used in the automation system for getting the cargo released.

The authority found that he was an officer from January 22, 2013 to September 11, 2014. On 12 September 2014, he was transferred. At that time, operations manager of the Chittagong Custom House was requested to block his password.

It is alleged that despite the official's transfer, his password was active until 2018. Meanwhile, it was revealed that as many as 295 consignments of the import cargoes have gone missing.

On Thursday (yesterday), a Bangla financial daily from Dhaka published a report that reveals as many as 3,777 consignment of import cargo have been delivered using fake password of two former revenue officers of the Custom House in Chattogram over the last two years.

The report said that some 116 consignments of import cargo had been delivered using the password of the transferred official and 3,661 consignments have been delivered using the password of another officer official. Both are no longer with the House, Customs officials said.