Party drugs,red sanders top smuggled items

DRI Heroin still the most prominent drug to be smuggled in and out of India.

Environmentally-sensitive goods,party drugs and red sanders seem to have emerged as the new favourites with smugglers.

Even as criminal groups continue to engage in smuggling of prohibited items and high-value,low-volume dutiable goods,the focus has been moving towards items like ketamine,a veterinary anaesthetic used as a party drug that can be snorted,smoked or ingested in tablet form,for the last two years.

According to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence DRI,smuggling of narcotic drugs has increased. As per the pattern studied,heroin continues to be the most prominent drug to be smuggled into and out of India. The heroin coming to India is mostly of Afghanistan origin,entering mainly through the Indo-Pak borders in Punjab and Jammu. Drug syndicates use India as the transit point for heroin through Punjab-Rajasthan border.

Ketamine hydrochloride has emerged as a major substance of abuse. According to DRI sources,the problem has acquired a larger dimension with a series of large seizures from Indians mainly going to East and South East Asian countries. The department has also seized substantial quantities of ganja,hashish,hashish oil,ephedrine and phensydyle cough syrup.

The trend shows that red sanders,a high value fragrant timber found in Andhra Pradesh,is being smuggled mostly to China and Japan.

In China,it is used to make perfumes,medicines,facial creams and fragrant furniture. Even though several customs port are being used for smuggling red sanders,Kolkata,Mumbai,Chennai and Tuticorin are the most vulnerable, said a source.

DRI officials say export of huge quantities of betel nuts,garlic and small cardamom into Nepal has been continuing for some time. The agency suspects that the import is disproportionate to consumption in Nepal.

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DRI has been using tools like Customs Overseas Intelligence Network,National Import Database,and DRI profiling system to detect and probe evasion of custom duties and commercial frauds. It registered 36,359 seizures and 6,686 cases of commercial frauds last year.

The DRI has also witnessed a spurt in commercial frauds like evading payment of duties,undervaluation of consumer goods,chemicals,metals,and false declaration of items like non-basmati rice and Muriate of Potash etc.

The misuse of exemption notifications,like exporters under-declaring the actual quantity of iron ore,is also a major challenge.