BICYCLES TURN OUT TO BE LUXURY VEHICLES

Nugegoda car sale owner imported vans and cars
on pretext of importing pushbikes, arrested

     Importers of vehicles these days are in for a bad time because of being asked to pay a high duty. It is a big problem for them to sell the vehicle after paying such a high fee after releasing it from the port. It was learned yesterday of a special kind of businessman who had thought of a fine strategy to be employed in this connection. What he had done was import 2 motor vehicles and 2 Hiace vans for which a high duty is levied; by saying that some machines and push bicycles are being brought.

     These vehicles have been packed in a 40 feet container. These 4 vehicles which had a value of 150 lakhs, it is said, had been dismantled and then packed into the container. This container had been directed to an address of a shop in Keyzer Street by a person carrying on an import-export car sale in Nugegoda area. Though what was mentioned was spare parts and push bicycles, a tip off had been given that there were no such things inside, and as a result, the container was subject to supervision at the Orugodawatta yard by customs officers.

     The suspected businessman as well as the clerk concerned was taken into custody for having tried to lead custom officers astray and for importing vehicles fraudulently. Further inquiries in the case are being conducted.