The Hindu : Customs take note of surge in saffron smuggling

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 29, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Customs take note of surge in saffron smuggling

By Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

NEW DELHI, FEB. 28. This is one saffron charge India wants to do without. At a time when smuggling of most goods has gone down due to liberalisation in imports, Delhi airport is witnessing a sudden surge in the smuggling of this expensive spice with 13 saffron smugglers being held in the past three months alone.

The Delhi Customs officials, who have affected all these seizures, are of the view that big players plan this, as most of those caught with saffron were mere couriers. "The interesting part here is that the smugglers approach passengers and offer them either half the ticket cost or full ticket price in lieu of the risk involved in smuggling. And how much for the ticket would be paid depends on the quantity of saffron smuggled,'' said the Commissioner Customs, R.S. Sidhu.

Since all the incoming passengers caught with the expensive spice were found to have boarded the flights from either Dubai or Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, the Customs officials believe there is an organised group of people working from behind the scenes. However, so far, no `hidden hand' has been caught.

It has also come to light that the modus operandi of the gang or gangs is simple. In 12 of the 13 cases, members of a particular community and hailing from Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh have been found to be smuggling the spice, which was given to them in separate packs to be checked in along with the rest of the luggage.

Mr Sidhu said the gangs involved took photocopies of the passports of these passengers and then faxed them to their operatives in Delhi to help them in identifying the couriers and in turn providing the couriers a method of determining to whom the consignment was to be handed.

However, some smart intelligence gathering by the Customs officials has spoilt the party for the smugglers. The official said they first noticed the smuggling when five passengers coming in from Dubai were caught with 7 kg of saffron each on December 2, 2003. All of them disclosed the modus operandi of the people involved in the trade. Subsequently the screening was intensified and the Customs managed to nab eight more people while they were smuggling saffron, which costs around Rs 30,000 per kg. All those nabbed so far have been let off mildly, though not without any pecuniary punishment. "We want to primarily make this a non-profitable trade for the smugglers. So, following imposition of 50 per cent duty (post budget 40 per cent), we also imposed a fine under Section 125 of the Customs Act on all these persons to cover their profits,'' said the official.

Noting that under the rules, passengers are only allowed to carry bona fide baggage containing personal belongings or some gifts, the official said, all these couriers were found to be indulging in violation of this facility, which now provides for bringing in goods worth Rs 25,000 as a free allowance.

But while the couriers were not prosecuted, the official said, their names now figure in the list of wrong-doers and should they ever try to indulge in smuggling again, their offence would get compounded and if they bring in over Rs 5 lakh worth of any product, they would become liable to face stricter action.

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