Customs intelligence yesterday seized from capital's Banani area a luxury sports utility car brought into the country dodging over Tk 8 crore in taxes.

Acting on a tip-off, a Customs Intelligence team raided the office of Versatile Automobile located at block-G in Banani and seized the white AUDI R8, Moinul Khan, director general of customs intelligence, told The Daily Star.

The officials had been keeping a close watch on movement of the car since last Saturday, he added.

With the yesterday's seizure, Customs intelligence seized 14 luxury vehicles over last couple of months that had dodged taxes.

Moinul said the car was brought in through Mongla Port in 2013 declaring it as a 2500cc Audi TT. However, the officials found that it was actually an Audi R8 with a 5200cc engine.

The car was imported from UK for Auto One car showroom in Turag in the capital. The importers paid 451 percent taxes on a falsely claimed price of $32,441.

The actual price of the R8 was $ 162,000 and its tax should have been 841 percent of the price.

“The owner evaded around Tk 8.5 crore in tax with the false declaration, ’ he said, adding that the car was yet to be registered.

Moniul Khan said the owner of the Auto One Sajedur Rahman Sumon had sold it to a person but the person recently returned it to Sumon amidst the Customs Intelligence drive against illegally imported cars.

Sumon was trying to sell the car again.

The official said they would take legal action against the importers and user of the car and also wrote to the NBR to take action against the Mongla Port officials concerned who helped the unscrupulous businessman import the car.