The Custom House, Chattogram (CHC) has seized 3.2 crore cigarette tax stamps that were illegally brought from China under false pretense.

Bappu Enterprise, a Chattogram-based trading company, declared that it had imported 15 tonnes of art paper from China's Digi Anti-Fake (Shenzhen) Co Ltd. However, customs officials found that 246 packets of unauthorised cigarette tax stamps were hidden inside the shipment.

Modhumati Associates Ltd was the clearing and forwarding agent that was supposed take delivery, according to customs documents.

"Had the stamps entered circulation, the government would have been deprived of between Tk 90 crore and Tk 143 crore in revenue," said Mohammad Salahuddin Rizvi, deputy commissioner of the CHC.

"It is now being investigated whether Bappu Enterprise has imported any other consignments from this company in the past," he told The Daily Star, adding that legal action will be taken against the local firm.

As per National Board of Revenue (NBR) guidelines, cigarette makers in Bangladesh have to collect tax stamps from Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd, the country's main printer of banknotes and government postal stamps.

Upon paying 15 per cent value-added tax and 57 per cent supplementary duty to the NBR, cigarette companies are allowed to collect tax stamps from the local printer, not foreign firms.

While visiting Digi Anti-Fake's website, it was seen that the company produces cigarette tax stamps, passports, ballot papers, and voter identification cards of different countries as per buyer demand.

When this correspondent called the numbers provided to the customs house by Bappu Enterprise and Modhumati Associates, their phones were found switched off.

Similarly, Bappu Enterprise registered its address as the 2nd floor of the GA building in Chattogram's Anderkilla but this correspondent found no trace of the organisation during a visit to area on Wednesday afternoon.