The CBI on Wednesday conducted searches at 19 premises in Nagpur, Mumbai and Ahmedabad at the premises of private persons, including proprietors/partners of importing firms, Customs House Agents and others in an on-going investigation of a case relating to import of hazardous betel nuts from Indonesia and claiming tax benefits under SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area) and SAPTA (SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement).
During searches incriminating documents, digital devices and other articles were recovered, the CBI said here on Wednesday.
The CBI had registered the case on March 5, 2021 against unknown officials of Customs and Central Excise and unknown private persons following a February 25 order of the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court in response to a Public Interest Litigation.
The allegations in the FIR include smuggling/illegal import of hazardous betel nuts/areca nuts/rotten nuts and evasion of Customs Duty causing loss of crores of rupees to the government exchequer.