Auction of betel nuts and poppies

When the physical examination of the containers stored in the dry port complex for a long time began, betel nuts and poppy seeds were recovered inside the containers declared by the traders as mas dal. Poppies were found in 13 containers and betel nuts in 18 containers. In re-evaluation, the price of pomace was fixed at 1 thousand 521 rupees 52 paise per kg and the minimum price of betel nut was fixed at 598 rupees 5 paisa per kg.

Earlier, the customs office had published a sealed price list with a price of 1,991 rupees per kilogram of pomace and 798 rupees per kilogram of betel nuts. Despite the notice being published three times, after the auction was not sold, the customs office re-evaluated and published a 15-day notice on Chait 13 last year. Sushil Sharma, the information officer of the dry port customs office, said that even in the first notification after the re-evaluation, the betel nut and pomace were not auctioned.

Importer contactless

After it was found that the imported goods were different from those declared, the customs sent letters to 5 importers to appear for investigation in the first week of last January. The importer has not come in contact with the customs office even after 3 months have passed since they were asked to appear within a week.

Information officer Sharma has said that the name of the importer cannot be disclosed as the investigation process is ongoing. The importer completes the import process by remittance of foreign currency through the bank when purchasing the goods from the third country.

Customs had written to the National Bank regarding those importers. Chief Customs Officer Ramprasad Mainali has stated in the 21-page letter sent by the bank that the firm has not done business. "A bank said that the transaction was done by us, but after some time, the importer informed us through a letter that the documents were taken back," said Mainali, the chief customs officer Mainali said that after writing a letter to the police office, the concerned person was sent to the dry port customs office.

The importer misused the customs 'green lane' to declare an item and bring in prohibited goods. Betel nut, masa dal, poppy seed, scooter, liquor and other items were found in the declared container of musuro dal and chicken feed. Half of the 40-foot container was filled with mass pulses and the other half with undeclared items. A sack of betel nuts was found sewn inside the sack of meat, an employee involved in the investigation said, 'The front of the container was filled with betel nuts and poppy seeds in the other half.' Goods were imported.