The Cargo Dilemma
A ship arrives at port, and the captain declares, “I don’t want to pay customs duty on my cargo, which is bats.”
The customs officer knows two things:
- Bats are duty-free, meaning there’s no tax on them.
- This captain always lies when talking about his cargo—he has never told the truth.
Given this, should the customs officer charge a duty on the cargo?
Show Answer
Answer: Charge the Duty!
The key to solving this riddle is understanding that the captain always lies about his cargo.
- He says his cargo is bats.
- But we know he never tells the truth about what he’s carrying.
- That means his cargo is NOT bats.
Since bats are duty-free but his cargo is something else, it might actually be subject to customs duty. The customs officer should charge the duty!