The Consumer Affairs Authority has filed legal action against 84 retail outlets across Sri Lanka that were unable to show where their imported cosmetics and footwear came from, NewsFirst reported.
The cases follow 108 special raids carried out islandwide on August 18 and 19, according to Daily Mirror. Officers targeted imported skin-lightening products, face and body cosmetics, perfumes and hair-care products, along with sports shoes and other imported footwear.
No invoices, no traceable supplier
At the 84 businesses now facing prosecution, officers found no bills or invoices for the goods on sale. Suppliers could not be identified, and the CAA said it was unable to establish how the stock had entered the shops.
The two newsrooms differ on what was seized. Daily Mirror reported that electronic goods worth about Rs. 1.5 million were taken during the raids; NewsFirst reported footwear valued at close to Rs. 1.5 million found during the inspections. Neither outlet accounts for the discrepancy.
The Authority said officers have been instructed to continue investigating businesses where the source of imported goods cannot be verified, and that further raids on imported cosmetics and footwear are planned.
The rule being enforced
The prosecutions rest on Order No. 83, which requires manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, warehouse operators and traders to keep written or printed bills establishing how goods in their possession were obtained. Those records must show the supplier’s name and address, the date and price of purchase, the type and quantity of goods, and a batch number where one applies.
The CAA restated that obligation publicly on August 20, warning that stock without such paperwork can be seized and produced before court. The requirement has been in force since April 2022, and its purpose is to make an import supply chain traceable back to its origin.
Daily Mirror reported that the Authority has conducted around 785 raids this year in connection with creams and lotions alone, with cases filed against the traders involved.
The action comes during a sustained run of CAA enforcement, which this week also produced Rs. 300,000 in fines against two Colombo businesses over uncertified helmets and expired infant formula.
