Dhaka will apprise the United Nations (UN) of detecting abuses of the privileged bonded warehouse facility by North Korean diplomats and claim credit as a first member country to complying with one of the UN resolutions.
Customs Intelligence Wing recently decided to inform the UN Security Council through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about their success in investigation on abusing diplomatic bonded warehouse facility by a section of North Korean diplomats.
With the investigation, the customs has complied with the UN Security Council's resolution to check financing for proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, said a senior customs official.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) of National Board of Revenue (NBR) recently got approval of the finance minister to write to the UN Security Council in this regard through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bangladesh will request for the credit from the UN as it complied with the resolution for the first time among its member country, said a senior customs official.
The CIID in two separate investigations have identified two diplomats of North Korea who were involved in the illegal activities of abusing the customs benefit for diplomats. Both the diplomats were expelled from Bangladesh in 2016 and 2017.
Customs officials said the diplomats were involved in illegal commercial activities, violating the diplomatic rules.
"The customs suspected that the money earned through the activities was used in the North Korean regime for proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," said one customs official.
According to the Vienna Convention 1961, Customs authority is barred from inspection of cargoes imported by foreign diplomats.
However, as per UN Security Council resolution 2270 (2016), article 18, the customs authority is allowed to inspect cargos imported by the North Korean embassy or its diplomats.
Bangladesh has expelled first secretaries of the North Korean Mission in Bangladesh Han Son Ik and Son Young-nam.
The diplomat Mr Han, who was head of chancery of the North Korean embassy in Bangladesh, imported luxury cars under diplomatic bonded warehouse facility but sold those out in the local market.
The customs intelligence suspected that a local influential luxury car buyer syndicate was involved with the diplomat.
"We are continuing investigation to find out those cars and traders involved with the illegal activity," the customs official said.
Scrutinising the documents, the customs intelligence has found Rolls-Royce, BMW and Porsche were imported by that diplomat, but none of the cars found in the garage of the North Korean embassy in Bangladesh.
On July 14, 2016, Mr Han also imported a container full of 8,099 carton cigarettes, LED television, AC and other electronics products through mis-declaration. He declared the imported goods as food.
Another diplomat Mr Young-nam, first secretary (trade and commerce), was also caught by the customs authority while smuggling 27 kilograms of gold worth Tk 130 million at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on March 7 in 2016.
However, the diplomat was freed with an undertaking as per the Vienna convention, but the ministry of foreign affairs instructed him to leave the country within 72 hours.
The customs officials also detected mis-declaration by another diplomat from the same country in 2012 who allegedly imported products worth Tk 15 million through Kamalapur Inland Container Depot. Customs fined Tk 2.5 million for the irregularities that remained unpaid.
Talking to the FE, CIID director general Dr Moinul Khan said the intelligence has found the mis-declaration by the diplomats and taken legal actions against the people involved in the misdeeds.
