DRI seizes smuggled betel nuts worth Rs 2 crore from Inland Container Depot in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) here has seized betel nuts worth around Rs 2 crores which were smuggled from abroad under the garb of high melting scrap (HMS) from Inland Container Depot (ICD), Khodiyar.

A DRI official without disclosing as to from which country and port the betel nut was brought to India today said, ”based on the specific intelligence that huge quantity of Betel Nuts (Areca Nuts) would be smuggled by M/s. Radhika Impex situated at 8, Anpurna Industrial Estate, Nr. Zaveri Estate, Kathwada, Ahmedabad by concealing the same in 6 containers said to contain High Melting Scrap (HMS) through Inland Container Depot (ICD), Khodiyar, the officers of DRI examined the the containers yesterday.”

He said, ”during the examination, 35.867 metric tonnes of Betel Nuts were recovered which were concealed behind the 67.472 MTs of HMS Scrap in those six containers. The
approximate market value of smuggled Betel Nuts is Rs. 2 Crores. The import Duty on betel nuts is more than 100% which makes its smuggling lucrative. The betel nuts and HMS in the containers have been seized under the Customs Act, 1962. Further inquiry into the case is under progress.”

DeshGujarat