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Expensive parts stolen from modern vehicles at Hambantota Port
View(s):A mass-scale racket to steal components, spare parts and accessories from Japanese vehicles imported to Sri Lanka through the Hambantota harbour is being investigated by ports officials and importers. According the Vehicle Importers’ Association of Sri Lanka (VIASL) Secretary Keerthi Gunawardana, for every 1000 vehicles arriving at the Hambantota Port, they have found around 300 to 400 have various parts missing. “The problem has been going on for a while but it is much worse now.”
The stolen parts include ‘SD cards’, an essential feature of all newer vehicles, including hybrids. Mr Gunawardana said importers had been paying up to Rs. 100,000 for each replacement card. He said electric car chargers, spare keys, and other accessories were also routinely stolen.
The Association has complained that the parts were being removed or pilfered by Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) workers. In formal representations, it has also claimed that careless port drivers were causing damage to the imported vehicles. Representatives of the VIASL and the SLPA yesterday conducted a joint inspection of an incoming ship at the Hambantota Port to determine at which stage of the import or export journey the vehicle parts were being stolen. It was the second such check this month.
The first inspection was done during discharging operations of the car carrier “M.V. Modern Link” on June 2, 2015, between 1 and 2 am. The SLPA subsequently notified Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga that most of the imported cars had SD cards and various accessories missing. Some did not even have LCD (liquid crystal display) screens on the dashboard. The SLPA also found that some vehicles had dents and other visible damage.
But the SLPA found no evidence to charge its workers of pilfering parts or inflicting damage on the vehicles. Each car was searched by a VIAL representative in the presence of SLPA officials and security. It was decided, however, to conduct further inspections with a view to finding a solution to the costly problem.
“We felt it was necessary because we didn’t check the details during the last inspection,” Mr. Gunawardana said. “It was very basic and we identified certain shortcomings. We are not in conflict with the Ports Authority. We are now streamlining the system.”
The Association admitted everyone must accept responsibility, including the shipping agents. “They are also responsible,” Mr. Gunawardana said. “We have not been receiving tally sheets from the shipping agents. We have also not got them from the Ports Authority. If we had the tally sheets from the original shipper, the shipping agents and the Ports Authority, everything can be clarified, including whether the parts went missing at the place of origin.”
Meanwhile, additional security has been put in place at the Hambantota Port. The results of yesterday’s inspection of a car carrier that arrived at 7 pm were not immediately known. Mr. Gunawardana said thefts had been taking place on a smaller scale from the time vehicle imports were first diverted to Hambantota Port. But this gradually increased to high levels with time. He said he felt this was because the culprits had discovered the value of certain components, accessories and spare parts.