Bangladesh Customs has started use of Raman Spectrometer, a kind of hand-held device, to stop import of banned and harmful chemicals by false declarations.
The device can detect different elements and generic names of the chemicals by using the laser ray, Revenue Administration sources said, hoping that it would play a vital role in boosting revenue income by reducing import and smuggling of banned chemical products.
World Customs Organization (WCO) has donated three devices to Bangladesh under the security project, the sources said, adding the use of Raman Spectrometer has been launched at Dhaka, Chattogram and Benapole custom houses.
The device will be installed in the remaining custom houses and stations in phases, the sources added.
National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the small hand-held device ‘Raman Spectrometer’ can provide sample and accurate report of 12,000 chemicals immediately (within 30 seconds).
It is the most important matter that import of drugs and explosive products in the name of chemicals could be controlled by using the device, he added, BSS reported.
Commissioner of Customs Valuation and Internal Audit Commissionrate Dr Moinul Khan said due to lack of such kind of device import of cocaine inside 105 drums of edible oil could not be detected at Chattogram Port in 2015. But now it will be easier to prevent such kind of offence, he added.