Tomatoes land custom officials in soup on UP-Nepal border

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Customs Commissioner Aarti Saxena of Lucknow informed reporters that six officials stationed in the border area have been summoned to headquarters pending further investigation. The seized consignment, valued at approximately Rs 4.8 lakhs, was originally handed over to Customs officials for proper disposal, as per regulations that dictate perishable items should be destroyed within 24 hours.

However, allegations suggest that the tomatoes were inexplicably released by the Customs officials before being intercepted once again by the police. The incident was subsequently reported to Customs officials at the Lucknow headquarters.

An SSB official stated that standard practice prohibits the entry of goods into India that are not manufactured or prepared in Nepal. He noted that Chinese apples were frequently confiscated in the past.

In the case of perishable items, a duty must be paid, and a certified copy of payment must be provided for entry into India. According to Nichlaul SHO Anand Kumar Gupta, items such as jewellery, foreign currency, and electronic goods can be seized if purchased without paying duty, while cigarettes and liquor are seized under the NDPS Act.

Traders and residents in border areas often cross over to the other side for their daily necessities. However, district authorities have imposed a maximum limit of Rs 25,000 for commercial goods.Tomato prices in Uttar Pradesh have reached Rs 160 per kg, while in Nepal they cost around Rs 100 to Rs 110 Nepali rupees, equivalent to Rs 62-69 in India.