The Used Motor Spare Parts Importers Association (UMSIA) said yesterday that it was ‘deeply disturbed’ over an ‘unjustifiable Customs raid on the Dehiwala shops belonging to the Association’s President'.

A team of Customs officers had raided U. S. Motor Spare Parts Company at Hill Street, Dehiwala belonging to UMSIA President, A. Buddhika de Silva and despite the production of relevant documents, seized the goods imported by him during the last few years, the UMSIA said in a Press statement yesterday.

‘The raid had been carried out under the pretext that this importer had violated Customs regulations. To best of his knowledge, he was positive that he had in no way violated any regulations and this was clearly explained to the Customs officers who came over to seize the goods. In fact, relavant documents of all imports of all items seized were also made available to the officers concerned’, the statement signed by UMSIA Vice President M. M. M. Zowhar claimed.

The importer had been told that the Customs officers were ‘unable to do anything’ as the orders had come from higher authorities, the statement said.

‘The intentions behind this raid as we could visualise, are not genuine and their motive is to tarnish the name of this importer and thus disgrace him for the simple reason that he happens to be the president of the UMSIA’, the statement asserted.

It is a well known fact the UMSIA is a recognised and responsible organisation and it’s evident that this action had been intended purely to throw mud at our Association, the statement claimed.