Saffron-smuggling: Delhi Customs Preventive makes two seizures
By TIOL News Service
NEW DELHI, JAN 25, 2022: INSTANCES of smuggling of saffron may not be too many but the trend continues to be intriguingly interesting. In two different seizures, the Delhi Customs (Preventive) has booked four persons with huge quantity of smuggled saffron.
In the first case, three persons were nabbed with 105 kg of saffron of Iranian origin but poor quality (largely styles) but worth Rs 59 lakhs and in the second case, 43 kg worth Rs 24 lakhs.
Till the time the Nuclear Agreement between Iran and the US are not sealed, economic sanctions against Iran would continue and there would be such instances of smuggling of saffron. Secondly, the Indian Kashmiri saffron production is not enough to meet the domestic demand and there is always some unmet demand. Since economics favours such smuggling, there would be such attempts to smuggle in Iranian saffron into India and the Customs would be under presssure. As per the Customs, smuggling of fake saffron is another challenge.
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