India Detains Container Ship Over Suspected Origin Misdeclaration

Indian customs authorities have detained a Comoros-flagged vessel at Mumbai’s Nhava Sheva Port after suspecting misdeclaration of the origin of nearly 310 containers of dried fruit consignments.

The ship, identified as WIV Reyfa, was held following specific information received by the Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) regarding possible discrepancies in the declared source of the cargo.

The consignments were loaded at Bandar Abbas port in Iran but were reportedly declared as originating from Afghanistan.

Officials suspect the goods were misdeclared in order to claim benefits under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement.

Under SAFTA, imports from Afghanistan attract no or negligible customs duty, whereas goods from Iran are subject to full duty.

The vessel has been under detention for nearly a fortnight. Indian authorities are questioning members of the crew to obtain further details about the consignments.

Although import documents state that all containers were loaded at Bandar Abbas, as Afghanistan does not have its own port, investigators are examining whether the country of origin stated for the dried fruits, particularly walnuts, was incorrect.

A circular issued on 16 February by the Central Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Customs Department stated that one person has been arrested in connection with the case.

According to the circular, the investigation so far has revealed an attempted duty evasion of approximately ₹50 crore.

Officials believe the walnuts on board were declared as being of Afghan origin, but preliminary findings indicate they may not have originated from Afghanistan. The investigation is ongoing.

Reference: thehindubusinessline

Source: Maritime Shipping News