The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recently raided an illegal cigarette factory inside a cinema hall under Shibganj municipality in Bogura and arrested six people, including its owner Suraiya Sarker.
The RAB-12 team also seized huge amount of illegally manufactured cigarettes from the factory named SM Tobacco. The cigarettes were manufactured evading tax to the government.
Acting on a tip-off, the RAB team conducted the drive on Monday along with customs officials.
Senior Assistant Police Superintendent of RAB Swajal Kumar Ghosh led the drive. It also seized 240,000 sticks of illegally manufactured cigarettes and arrested six people from the factory.
A case was filed against four of them. They are owner, Suraiya Sakker, manager Mithun Kumar and employees, Towhidur Rahman and Mohonto.
Swajal Kumar Ghosh said SM Tobacco has long been manufacturing illegal cigarettes inside the cinema hall next to the Children’s Park in the municipality.
Sources said that SM Tobacco has been marketing Senor Gold Special, Dubai, Enjoy, MG Gold and other cigarettes in Bogura and adjacent districts. The prices of those cigarettes are between Tk 20-25. But the government has set Tk 39 as the lowest price for a packet of cigarette.
The detainees said they manufacture cigarettes in line with the order of the companies. The cigarette company representatives take delivery of those cigarettes once manufactured.
Last year, RAB raided another cigarette company in Bogura and seized huge quantity of illegal cigarettes, fake band rolls and a covered van.
Syed Mokaddes Hossain, assistant commissioner of the Bogura Board of Revenue, said, “They (SM Tobacco) were doing business with licenses. We will investigate into the matter.”
The factory has been sealed and we have recovered illegal goods, he said.
According to the National Board of Revenue, an assistant revenue officer is on full-time duty at a cigarette factory to ensure collection of government revenue. Only after his approval, the cigarettes go out of the factory. Not just in factories or warehouses, the illegal cigarettes are also produced in rice mills, and even in oil mills. Manufactured cigarettes from these factories spread in districts across the country without VAT challan through courier services, which is illegal.
