Govt. likely to auction seized luxury vehicles

At least 49 vehicles among 300 luxury vehicles worth LKR 2 billion seized by the Customs Department which were imported before and during the import ban, are likely to be auctioned, official sources said. These include vehicles that have been imported without proper documentation and in some cases forged papers, the sources said.

Vehicle importers and traders have been urging the authorities to release the vehicles even after a confiscation fine is imposed.

These vehicles seized by Customs consisting of BMWs and Mercedes Benz had been shipped after April and May 2020 with duty-free permits by several public officials and individuals through local dealers, the sources revealed.

A top level official investigation revealed that at least 49 vehicles had been imported without opening LCs and the balance had been ordered on credit terms from the manufacturers by permit holders without causing an immediate impact to foreign reserves.

Accordingly, the vehicles which were brought down to the country without LCs and using forged or altered documents will be confiscated and sold in a public auction while the balance number of vehicles will be released to importers on a case by case basis, official sources said.

"The offenders will be penalised under the Custom Ordinance in accordance with the top level official committee recommendations," one source said.