Page 75 - DRI ANNUAL REPORT EBOOK

Dry Dates
The DRI Lucknow Zonal Unit booked cases against three importers who had imported dry dates through the ICDs of Panki and Dadri in September 2019 for gross evasion of customs duty by misdeclaration of Country of Origin. Altogether, the consignments amounted to 327169 kgs of dry dates with an assessable value (declared) of Rs.1,63,15,317. During the inspection of consignments it was found that all the three importers failed to follow the Food Safety and Standard (Packing and Labelling) Regulation, 2011.
Black Pepper
The DRI Kolkata Zonal Unit, in July 2019, detected a case of blatant misuse of the provisions of the Indo- Nepal Treaty on Trade and Transit where two consignments of Nepal bound cargo were imported at Kolkata Port under the Indo-Nepal Treaty on Trade and Transit under gross misdeclaration containing black pepper of foreign origin while the declared goods in the CTD and other import documents was plywood of Indonesian origin. The like goods of Indian origin i.eplywoods were to be loaded in a godown in Kolkata replacing the imported high value Black Pepper in the containers imported as Nepal cargo. Two containers were seized containing high valued black pepper imported from Singapore in the guise of declared goods as plywood. The total value of the seizure of 56 MT of black pepper of foreign origin is estimated at Rs 3.92 crores. The DRI Units at Lucknow, Kolkata, Delhi and Muzaffarpur have made interceptions of trucks smuggling third country origin black pepper from Nepal to India. Apart from the duty evasion involved, the said cases also bring to light the risks posed by pepper not subject to the mandatory checks laid down by the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003.
Arecanuts
In five cases, DRI Nagpur detected outright smuggling of areca nuts suspected to be of Indonesian origin and smuggled into India via the porous Indo-Myanmar border. The Imphal Regional Unit seized 655.32 tonnes arecanut believed to be smuggled into India through illegal routes under the cover of fabricated documents, from 25 trucks detained by Assam Police.
Cosmetics and Perfumes
The seizures effected by the DRI reveal that popular brands of toothpastes, talcum powder, fairness creams, etc. manufactured in Nepal are illicitly brought to India through the Indo-Nepal land border. In addition to duty evasion, the said smuggled consignments evade the mandated checks prescribed by relevant laws in terms of their quality, health risks, IPR violations, etc. The seizure made by Muzzafarpur Regional Unit in August 2019 of Close Up toothpastes and Ponds talc manufactured in Nepal valued at Rs. 8.04 lakhs, as well as the seizure by Gorakhpur Sub-regional Unit of Fair and Lovely cream and Ponds talc totally valuing Rs. 5.21 lakhs testify to this. In September 2019, DRI, Mumbai busted illegal import and selling in retail market of hydroalcoholic perfumes valued at Rs. 70,92,033/-, in the absence of proper license and registration with CDSCO.
E-waste
The import of certain used goods also poses challenges to health and public safety. In response to Operation DEMETER-V, intelligence was developed by DRI, Mumbai indicating a consignment containing e-waste imported in the guise of electric arc welding machine. The DRI seized 122 old and used photocopier machines of Xerox brand worth Rs. 64.58 lakhs, which were restricted for import.
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