NBR seals 4 warehouses over alcohol irregularities

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has sealed four warehouses of Toss Bond Private Limited in Gulshan, Dhaka, after finding irregularities in the storage and records of duty-free alcohol and beer.

The warehouses belong to a bonded warehouse company owned by Sheikh Nur Islam, father-in-law of content creator Salman Muqtadir. According to the NBR, the company had approval for two warehouses but was found operating four.

A joint team of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID), Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) and Special Response Battalion (SRB) conducted the raid from around 10:30pm on Thursday until 4:30am Friday.

Officials inspected the company register, NBR-approved software and stocks stored at the warehouses. They found 144 cans of beer, 12 bottles of whisky and six bottles of vodka that had already been shown as 'ex-bonded', meaning they had been cleared from the bonded warehouse system.

Investigators suspect the goods may have been kept for sale outside the authorised system.

Officials also found a discrepancy involving 2,250 cartons of Heineken beer. The company's software showed that the shipment entered the warehouse on September 3, but the cartons were not found during the physical inspection.

The DNC also reported irregularities in the company's stock and record-keeping system. Officials found that two of the four floors lacked the necessary customs approval documents.

The NBR said the warehouses were sealed to prevent the removal or transfer of duty-free goods and facilitate further investigation.

Under the bonded warehouse system, duty-free alcohol can be sold only to diplomats and others legally entitled to such benefits.

Customs intelligence officials said they had been investigating allegations that duty-free goods stored at Toss Bond were being sold on the open market at high prices for several months.

They said the raid was not linked to the recent attack on Salman Muqtadir's studio, Brownfish, which was damaged during an attack on several properties of New Guinea Housing Project in South Manikdi on September 26.

The investigation into the bonded warehouse is continuing, and officials said further action may follow after verification is completed.