In connection with a betel nut smuggling case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches in Nagpur and a few other locations in Maharashtra on Thursday. It was found that betel nuts of poor quality were being smuggled into India from other nations.
In 2017, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a number of these consignments and filed four cases in connection with the importation of subpar betel nuts from nations like Indonesia across the Indo-Myanmar border. However, because India and Sri Lanka have a free trade agreement, the traders claimed the shipment was from Sri Lanka.
In contrast to imports from nations like Indonesia, goods from Sri Lanka do not incur duty fees. A mistaken declaration of Sri Lanka as the origin country resulted in hundreds of crores in exchequer losses due to import duty evasion.
Officials found that consignments of the imported betel nuts were made to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Nagpur in Maharashtra, and Mumbai. Additionally, it was found that the imported betel nuts were of poor quality, posing health risks and other issues for the consumers.
After receiving a directive from the Bombay High Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched an investigation. In relation to the case, the investigation agency searched 19 locations last year. Numerous Central Excise and Customs officers, as well as businessmen from Nagpur and Ahmedabad, were allegedly involved in the case.
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