DHAKA: The Chittagong port authority fears a security threat after seizing five bottles of liquor sent through an agent company from a vessel MV OEL Lanka anchored at the outer port area.

Recently, a local agent company GBX Logistics carried five bottles of liquor from the OEL Lanka. Port watchman recovered the liquor while the bottles were being transported through local boats from the ship defying IMO instruction.

Port director (Security) Lieutenant Cornel Abdul Gaffar has already sent a letter to Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association in Chittagong mentioning the security issues over the incident.

Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association president Ahsanul Huq Chowdhury is considering the matter with importance.

He said, “Such incidents raise the concerns of smuggling. We are giving importance to the letter sent by port authority. All members of the organization will be sent there for inspection.”

It has been reported that local shipping agent GBX Logistics sent a boat to MV OEL for supplying the necessary documents to the ship master on February 9. An on-duty chief watchman recovered the liquor bottles after searching the boatman’s document bag.

When questioned, the boatman said GBX Logistics is taking the liquors from the ship master as gifts for a government official. No representative of the agent company was present on the boat at that tine.

Port security director, in his letter, said thought the agent company GBX Logistics tried to dismissed the matter as normal, the port is considering it as a grave security threat.

GBX Logistics Ltd also works as an agent company of the German-based multinational company Hapag-Lloyd that transports goods using its own ships and containers. 

A writ was also filed with the High Court against GBX Logistics Ltd for tax dodging and money laundering.

BDST: 2158 HRS, FEB 20, 2018
AP