In a latest development, the British government has launched an investigation after Sri Lankan authorities said they would send back more than hundred shipping containers because they appeared to contain human remains disguised as recyclable metals, The Telegraph reported.
Officials at the port of Colombo made the grisly discovery while investigating a strong smell emanating from 111 containers which have been arriving at the docks over the past two years.
Inside the crates, customs officials found the “extremely hazardous” materials mixed in with mattresses, plastics and clinical waste.
It was also reported that human organs and body parts were inside the container, but said it was yet to be approached by the Sri Lankan authorities.
Sri Lanka Customs is also conducting comprehensive investigation into illegal waste along with discarded stock of mattresses importation into Sri Lanka under entrepot trade regulations introduced during previous Rajapaksa regime in 2013 which allows re-exporting rackets of unscrupulous exporters to enjoy tariff relief, customs officers emphasized.
The gazette notification No. 1818-30 issued during the Rajapaksa regime has provided provisions for import and re-export goods without the control of Customs Ordinance, Exchange Control Act, and Import – Export Control Act etc.
These regulations indirectly paved the way for racketeers to exploit its loop holes in manipulating entrepot trade without considering the country’s economic prosperity and environment.
Customs media spokesperson Sunil Jayaratne noted that the main stakeholder is Hayleys Free Zone Private Limited and this company also has the right and legal capacity to enter into agreements with third parties.
He added that as per that contract they had come to an agreement with a company by the name of ETL Colombo Private Ltd and a 4th party by the name of Ceylon Metal Processing Corporation Ltd was also involved.
He revealed that the ETL Colombo Pvt. Ltd was the actual importer of consignments. .
The deal maker was Vengaads in the UK and it is owned by Venkadesha Muthurajan who brought down the waste material from the UK to Sri Lanka.
It has been revealed that Hayley’s Free Zone Company has given subcontract to Metal Processing Corporation Private Limited whose owner is Shashi Kumar Muthurajan.
130 containers have been imported 12 times with 2488 tonnes of waste material and the material is sent back after removing metal and several other things.
The waste material dumped in the port were also to be sent to where the garbage containers were sent in the previous instances.
Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has ordered the Director-General of Customs to carry out an investigation and provide a report regarding the waste containers. According to a media release issued by the Finance Ministry, the Minister has made this order today (July 23) after returning to the island.
The media release says if a certain party has violated any law or regulation when it comes to the import of these containers stern action will be taken against those parties.
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