Customs release detained milk powder; importer points to documentation delay

The milk powder stock detained for 30 days in the Colombo Port by Sri Lanka Customs has been released, the importing company said.

Anods Cocoa Pvt. Ltd chairman Dr Lukshman Weerasuriya told the Sunday Times the 400 metric tonne stock was detained due to a documentation delay.

However, in response to a query by the Sunday Times, Customs officials refused to reveal the grounds on which the stock was released.

Earlier, in a statement, Customs said the milk powder consignment from New Zealand had been detained pending a probe to find out whether it had been imported under an open accounts system in violation of import regulations.

The Finance Minister in a June 5 Gazette notification added milk powder to a list of items that were not allowed to be imported under the open accounts system. However, the ban was relaxed for local manufacturers if they had obtained prior approval from the Industries Ministry Secretary.

Dr Weerasuriya, a member of the Milk Powder Importers’ Association, claimed that the company had not violated the import regulations because the stock had been ordered in February 2022, months before the ban came into force. He said the consignment reached the Colombo Port on October 20, and the company obtained approval on October 7.

He said that due to the economic crisis and political instability in Sri Lanka at the time, the consignment was delayed and finally reached Sri Lanka in October. He said his company would cooperate with Customs investigators.