Chattogram Customs has seized 4,200kg of banned sodium cyclamate, an artificial sweetener, from a container imported through Chattogram Port.
The seizure was carried out by the Customs Intelligence Team with assistance from the Central Intelligence Cell in Dhaka, based on a tip-off, officials said.
The importer, Ejaj Trading of 47 Haji Nader Hossain Road, Namabari, Keraniganj, Dhaka, had declared the shipment as polyaluminum chloride, an acidic solution used primarily for water and wastewater treatment to remove impurities, suspended solids, and heavy metals.
The 22,088kg container arrived from China on 21 October 2025.
Customs officers halted the cargo’s clearance and conducted a physical inspection on 6 November 2025. Samples from the shipment were sent to Chattogram Customs laboratory for chemical testing.
Laboratory results revealed that while 17,800kg of the shipment was indeed polyaluminum chloride, while 4,200kg consisted of sodium cyclamate.
Sodium cyclamate is an artificial sweetener 30–50 times sweeter than regular sugar. Unscrupulous traders sometimes use it in sweets, bakery items, ice cream, beverages, juices, chocolates, condensed milk, and baby food. Authorities warn that consuming products with sodium cyclamate can cause cancer and damage the liver and kidneys.
The substance is banned under Bangladesh’s Import Policy Order 2021–2024 due to its health risks. Customs officers have detained the shipment under the Customs Act, 2023, and legal proceedings are ongoing.
This is the third major seizure of banned sodium cyclamate at Chattogram Port this year. Previous operations on 16 September and 28 October 2025 resulted in the confiscation of nearly 100 tonnes of the prohibited sweetener.
