Mumbai: The Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch (SIIB) of customs made another arrest in the seizure of 189.6 metric tonnes of arecanut smuggling in the guise of bitumen valued at Rs 9.65 crores with duty liability of Rs 11.63 crores. The arecanut smuggling scam led to the seizure of illicit goods with several summons and searches conducted on importer and tracers leading to arrest of one of the directors of the Import Export Code holder.
The SIIB at Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House (JNCH), Nhava Sheva street Mukesh Madhavji Bhanushali from Ghatkopar, the beneficial owner of the arecanut smuggled from UAE into India. The customs has launched multiple investigations qt various ports including Mundra in the arecanut smuggling case classified under CTH 08028090 attracting high tariff value and duty structure of 110% plus Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST), for protection of Indian producers of Areca Nuts.
The importer and traders In order to avoid the high customs levies and GST mis-declaration during illicit imports of Areca Nuts as bitumen and other infrastructure supplies.
India is the largest producer of Areca Nuts used widely in the illegal Gutka industry is widely cultivated in India but rampant smuggling of Areca Nuts to meet the rising demand of the banned cancer causing pan masala and gutka.
