Sri Lanka Customs has confirmed that 371 containers were released without inspection on Jan. 18, 2025.
The revelation came through a letter issued by K.K.W.M.D. Silva, Deputy Director of Customs (Policy Planning and Research Directorate), in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query by ‘Aruna’ newspaper.
According to the letter, 62 out of the 371 containers had been cleared via the ASYCUDA automated Customs data system using risk management protocols, which exempted them from inspection.
The matter sparked controversy on Jan. 29 after it was reported that 323 containers had been released without the required inspection.
Since then, the Customs Officers’ Association has repeatedly leveled accusations at the Customs administration.
According to the letter, the containers were flagged for inspection under the red and yellow channels of the ASYCUDA system but were released based on scan reports alone, bypassing an inspection.
These containers were imported from a range of countries, including China, India, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Switzerland, South Korea, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Japan, and Bangladesh.
