The Bribery Commission has been instructed to confiscate and declare as state assets seven luxury vehicles worth Rs. 400 million which had been illegally imported to Sri Lanka from 2018 to 2024.
Taking into consideration facts presented by the Bribery Commission, Colombo Additional Magistrate Thilina Gamage issued the order on the vehicles which had been illegally imported causing a loss of nearly Rs. 250 million in tax revenue for Sri Lanka Customs.
Pointing out that illegally imported vehicles had been seized on previous occasions as well, the Magistrate further ordered the suspects involved in the illegal vehicle import racket to be arrested.
It was disclosed at the court that although vehicles imported after 2018 should have a registration number with three English letters, data on the computer system had been deleted and these luxury vehicles had been registered as low-value vehicles, such as three-wheelers and motorcycles.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered that the vehicles which had been registered under persons from the Badulla, Wariyapola, Balangoda, and Wattala areas be immediately seized and presented in court.
The Bribery Commission has also informed the court that despite more than 200 vehicles that were imported and registered illegally being discovered so far, information has come to light that a large number of vehicles had been imported from 2015 to 2024. (Newswire)
