News
Container load of industrial chemicals from S’pore turns out to be 15, 200 litres of ethanol
Customs examining contraband (pic courtesy Customs)
By Prabhath Withana
The Customs Central Investigation Bureau officers, on Monday, took into custody a container with 15,200 litres of ethanol worth Rs. 20 million imported from Singapore.
Customs Director General Uditha Jayasinghe said the importers had declared that it was a consignment of industrial chemicals.
Jayasinghe said that the container reached the country on August 9 last year for a company owned by a person who had not engaged in any business activities since 2016.
“The Customs officers sent letters to the company that imported the cargo, informing them to take steps to clear the container from the port. But no one responded. Subsequently, the customs officers decided to open and inspect the container. They found 76 barrels of ethanol each containing 200 litres, while it was declared to contain 12,220 kg of an Industrial Chemical,” Jayasinghe said.
If this consignment had been removed from the port and utilised to distill alcoholic beverages, the total revenue loss from tax due to the government and non-declaration of excise duty would have been Rs. 60 million, the Customs Director General said.
The import of ethanol to Sri Lanka had been prohibited under the Import and Export Control Act as a public policy as well as under the Excise Act, he said.
Latest News
188 complaints received in the 24 hours ending 4.30pm on 11th November
The Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake said that the EC received 188 complaints during the 24 hours that ended at 4.30pm on Monday 11th November. Of the 188, 187 were of incidents related to the violation of election laws while one was an incident of election related violence.
The EC has received a total of 2999 complaints from 26th September to 11th November 2024 and have investigated and resolved 2353.
Latest News
Navy detain Indian fishing boat poaching in Sri Lankan waters
The Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehend 12 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, during a special operation conducted off Chundikulam, Jaffna today (12th November 2024).
The Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing boats, taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen.
Including this apprehension, the Navy has held 66 Indian fishing boats and 497 Indian fishermen this year, and handed them over to authorities for legal action.
News
Showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in Eastern, Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, and Southern provinces.
Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 12 November 2024 by the Department of Meteorology
A low-pressure area is likely to form over the south west Bay of Bengal today (12). Under its influence, atmospheric conditions will be favorable for afternoon thundershowers in most parts of the island from 13th November.
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the morning.
Several spells of showers will occur in Northern Province. Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places elsewhere during the evening or night. Fairly heavy showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in Eastern, Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, and Southern provinces.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
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