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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence uncovered a major network illegally importing arecanut into India.
Syndicates fraudulently exploited the South Asian Free Trade Area agreement to route goods from South-East Asian nations.
Imports were falsely declared as originating from Bangladesh to claim improper duty exemptions.
The operation resulted in customs duty evasion exceeding two thousand five hundred crore rupees.
More context
Enforcement actions led to nine arrests and the seizure of seventy-five lakh rupees in cash.
Authorities also suspended a Customs Broker licence connected to the illegal import network.
Ongoing investigations are examining potential hawala channels and the use of dummy entities.
The crackdown highlights significant vulnerabilities in regional trade agreement verification processes.
Further arrests and recoveries are anticipated as financial audits and interrogations continue.