Customs officials have seized 60 tonnes of sodium cyclamate, a banned artificial sweetener, from three containers imported by HP International of Dhaka. The shipment, declared as “Soda Ash Light,” arrived from China on August 16 and was detained on September 16 after a tip-off from the National Board of Revenue’s Central Intelligence Cell.
Laboratory tests at Dhaka University, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, and the Customs Laboratory confirmed the substance as sodium cyclamate, which is 30–50 times sweeter than sugar and banned for posing cancer and organ damage risks.
Authorities valued the consignment at about $170,000 and said criminal cases will be filed against the importer and its clearing agent. Officials also linked the seizure to a wider pattern of fake lab reports and customs collusion, including a 2023 release of 14 tonnes of the same sweetener under false declarations.