October 11: It has been confirmed that Nepal Police confiscated the consignment of betel nuts being exported to India with mala fide intention even though it was already cleared by the Indian customs. The consignment of beetle nuts produced in Jhapa was cleared by the Indian customs at Jogbani checkpoint across Biratnagar and was en route to India’s Bhimnagar boarder point near the Koshi barrage via Nepal route due to obstruction in the Indian side. 

Finally, eight trucks laden with 29,596 kilograms of betel nuts worth Rs 86.38 million were released on September 29 after the Department of Customs instructed the concerned officials to re-route the consignment as per the court order.

The Morang police had seized the betel nuts that had re-entered Nepal after customs clearance at Jogbani customs near Biratnagar on July 21 and handed them over to the Revenue Investigation Office in Itahari three days later.

According to Tirthraj Khanal, the head of the Revenue Investigation Office, Itahari, eight trucks of betel nuts were released after the department issued a written order to re-route them.

“Since we did not have the right to open and check the betel nuts sealed by the Indian customs, we only investigated whether there was any error in the process involved, and later we dropped the case after the department ordered us to allow re-routing the consignment,” Khanal said.

On the basis of the certificate of origin issued by the Jhapa Industry and Commerce Association, betel nuts grown in Jhapa were loaded on Indian trucks and exported from Biratnagar customs and were checked and sealed by the Indian customs office. Due to the collapse of the bridge in Mirganj, India, the betel nuts were re-routed for export to Bhimnagar, India through Bhantabari of Sunsari district.

Navin Ghimire, the owner of Mankamana Traders of Biratnagar-9, a betel exporter, had filed a writ petition one week ago seeking a certiorari order. The petitioner had filed the case against the District Police Office Morang, Department of Customs, Biratnagar Customs Office and Revenue Investigation Office Itahari. After he withdrew the writ, the department issued an order to release the consignment.

Exporter Ghimire complained that he had to pay more than INR 2.5 million for the rent of the eight trucks that have been on the premises of the Revenue Investigation Office for two months.

Due to the collapse of the bridge in Mirgunj, the betel nuts that were inspected by the Indian customs at Jogbani were re-routed and return to Nepal so that they can be sent to Bhimnagar of India through Sunsari's Bhantabari. However, the police seized all the trucks arguing that they did not have customs clearance documents and kept them at the local police office in Rani for three days for investigation. Even after submitting all the documents, the police handed over the betel nut to the revenue investigation office.