A joint team comprising four intelligence units of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) conducted a raid at 'Kingfisher' restaurant in the capital's Gulshan area, seizing 2,359 liters of illicit liquor and beer. The operation, which began around 12:30 AM on Sunday, lasted for nearly three hours. During the raid, authorities discovered unrecorded foreign liquor and beer not only in the restaurant's display and standard storage areas but also inside a clandestine room hidden behind a large billboard.
The details of the operation were disclosed on Monday afternoon during a press briefing at the Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation office in Kakrail, Dhaka. Additional Director General Rezvi Ahmed addressed the briefing, alongside VAT and tax intelligence officials.
Rezvi Ahmed stated that during the raid, attempts were made to intimidate officials using pets. He noted that the amount of liquor on the display shelves appeared disproportionately low compared to the number of customers, a discrepancy that aroused suspicion and prompted officials to inspect behind the billboard. The restaurant management was uncooperative regarding the hidden room, refusing to hand over the keys and employing various delaying tactics. However, because direct physical obstruction to the raid was avoided, no arrests were made on the spot. Legal action will be taken upon the conclusion of a thorough investigation.
During the press conference, officials explained that the raid was initiated based on a tip-off alleging that high-tariff goods, particularly alcoholic beverages, were being procured and sold while evading customs duties. The primary objectives of the operation were to verify the legal source of the products, check for Value Added Tax (VAT) evasion on sales, determine whether the sales proceeds were duly reported in income tax returns, and investigate potential money laundering through these transactions.
