The misappropriation of millions of rupees revenue through under invoicing and misleading information about the imported goods was exposed after the CIAA and the RID detained vehicles carrying tobacco products and dry coconuts ten days ago. [break]
For instance, a truck with Indian registration number (UP 72 T 3355), had entered Nepal through Krishannagar customs point ten days ago.
The duty invoice showed the truck was carrying miscellaneous goods such as plastic film, sago and coconut fiber. However, the investigation conducted by the two anti-graft bodies revealed that the Indian truck was carrying 15 ton of dry coconuts and nothing else.
The coconut consignment was imported by New Paschimanchal Traders Sahu Tobacco store at Krishananagar.
According to the invoice, the importer had paid the customs for only 1,875 kg of coconuts, effectively evading the duty on the remaining 13,152 kg of coconut.
It shows that revenue worth more than Rs 200,000 was evaded in a single consignment, one of the concerned officials said.
The investigation has revealed that the customs office staffers were involved in the racket as the invoice was duly signed by three customs employees - Shyam Singh, Sabbir Musalman and Himlal Sharma.
Mitra Lal Regmi, Chief of Internal Revenue Office in Butawal, informed that they would initiate action against those guilty in the case.
According to a source, the staffers, including some customs officers have been found guilty. Nevertheless, Chief of the Krisnanagar Custom office, Narayan Sapkota , said that they would start an internal investigation “to find out the reality”.
A source at the customs office informed that the customs are generally evaded in the export of the construction material and in the imports of cement clinkers, clothes, daily consumable commodities , inter alias.
Similarly, some staff at Maryadpur sub-customs had also been implicated in customs evasion.
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