Mumbai, Sep 10 (PTI) In one of the biggest seizures, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 371 tons of Areca Nuts worth more than Rs 32 crore from 14 containers at Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra's Raigad district, an official said on Sunday.

Based on reliable information, the containers were stopped at JNPT on August 31 before they could be transhipped to dry port Talegaon on suspicion that the cargo could be pilfered or replaced en route, he said.

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As per the import manifest details and the declaration, the containers were carrying calcium nitrate. However, the examination revealed that it was a case of brazen misdeclaration and all the 14 containers had areca nuts which were being smuggled into India, the official said.

The government has put a tariff value of 10,379/ USD per metric ton on areca nuts brought into the country from outside. Hence, the entire consignment of 3,71,090 kg (371 MT) of areca nuts, valued at Rs 32.31 crore has been seized, a release said.

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The areca nuts in split form attract an effective Customs duty rate of 110 per cent of the value. Hence, the attempted duty evasion in this case by way of misdeclaration is around Rs 36 crore.

Further investigation is underway, the official added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)