By TIOL News Service

KOLKATA, SEPT 27, 2017: THE DRI has busted a major syndicate involved in smuggling of foreign origin Betel Nuts and Black pepper of Vietnamese origin. DRI in a Joint operation with BSF personnel, intercepted five trucks near Dhaleswar in Cachar district of Assam. Four of such trucks were found to be loaded with betel nuts and black pepper of foreign origin and the fifth truck was found to be loaded completely with betel nuts of foreign origin.

Total 86,000 kg of Betel nuts in 910 bags valued at Rs. 2.6 Crores and 10,850 kg of Black pepper in 217 bags valued at Rs. 65.10 Lakhs were recovered from the five trucks. The Vietnamese origin Black pepper was undeclared and found concealed under the bags of betel nuts in these trucks. The Betel nuts and the Black pepper consignments along with the five carrier trucks (value of the trucks ascertained to be about a Crore of Rupees) were seized under the Customs Act, 1962. In view of their complicity, five drivers of the trucks were arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962 on 25th September 2017.

The import Duty on Betel Nuts (Areca Nuts) is more than 100% which makes the smuggling of Betel Nuts (Areca Nuts) rather lucrative. Likewise, Vietnamese origin Black pepper is being increasingly smuggled into the country, going by the recent seizures made by DRI in this regard. Vietnam accounts for almost half of the global production of Black Pepper and its prices are also cheaper compared to those of Indian Pepper.

Initial investigations by DRI reveal that the betel nuts and the black pepper were brought from Myanmar through the towns of Champhai - Zokhawthar, located near the Indo-Myanmar border.

This is the third consecutive seizure of Betel nuts and Black peppers effected by DRI in about a month’s time. On 23rd August this year, DRI had seized 37,804 kg of betel nuts and 1,986.75 kg of black pepper, collectively valued at Rs 9459010/- from Dibrugarh Railway Station and on the 26th August DRI, had seized 15,000 kg of Black Pepper of Vietnam origin along with two trucks collectively valued at Rs. 1.72 Crores.

As a part of integrated and enhanced border management plan and for combating of cross-border crime more efficiently, especially along the sensitive Indo-Bangladesh and Indo- Myanmar borders, DRI and BSF have been working in very close coordination in the border regions of the North-East and West Bengal for combating smuggling of various articles including drugs such as Ganja, cough syrups like Phensydyl, commodities such as Betel Nuts and Black Pepper apart from other goods.