DRI busts racket; food, items worth Rs 41.24 lakh smuggled from African countries seized

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a unique and first of a kind racket of smuggling where food and personal items weighing 10 tonnes were brought to the country without paying the customs duty.

The consignments valued at Rs 41.24 lakh were seized under the customs act.

After receiving specific input on July 19, a sleuth of DRI Hyderabad intercepted five consignments weighing over 10 tonnes at Air Cargo Complex of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad.

Further verification of the unaccompanied baggage, which originated from African countries Lagos, Nigeria revealed that the goods were declared as edible foods stuff and personal effects and weighed around 10 tonnes. The total value of the consignment declared to customs was around Rs 1.3 lakh and was found to be grossly undervalued.

DRI officers found a variety of items including noodles, cosmetics, palm oil, beef, dried fish, meat, beverages including alcohol such as whiskey, beer, gin, in huge commercial quantities, which are not allowed to be imported as baggage as per Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act,1992 and Customs Act,1962.

https://www.indiatoday.in/crime/story/dri-busts-racket-food-items-worth-rs-41-24-lakh-smuggled-from-african-countries-seized-1573470-2019-07-25