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Minister in alleged betel nut racket
Customs say they thwarted an attempt by a Cabinet minister to clear 15 containers carrying betel nut imported to Sri Lanka by a businessman.
They allege that the loss of revenue, if the consignment was cleared, would amount to Rs. 120 million. The containers were carrying betel nut, a dried form of areca nut, from Indonesia. They were meant to be processed and re-exported, an officer said.
The Sunday Times learns the Minister had attempted to get the containers cleared but was stopped by the Customs Preventive Division.The containers carrying 3,347 bags of betel nut were due to be cleared by the consignee in Maradana when the detection was made. Investigations have revealed that the company had imported similar consignments from Indonesia earlier and had secured the release without quarantine examination.
Detectives have also found that the importer had not obtained a licence under the Temporary Import for Export (TIEP) scheme for value addition and re-export for the particular consignment. The Cabinet in 2012 granted approval to only two companies to import betel nut for re-export mainly to India and Middle-Eastern countries. Customs Spokesman Leslie Gamini said he was awaiting reports about the detection and therefore could not comment.
Last month two containers said to be containing sanitary-ware imported from China were cleared without inspection, the official said. Betel nut is used by a substantial portion of the world’s population as a recreational drug due to its stimulant nature.