Man held at Mangalore Airport for evading duty on saffron

Mangalore, May 26: A passenger was arrested at the Mangalore Airport on Friday for evading duty on saffron.

33-year-old Abdul Saram, son of Andumai Mangool, from Kanhangad in Kasargod district, was returning from Dubai on Air India Express flight IX 384, when the officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Regional Unit, Mangalore (DRI) found undeclared items in his luggage.

The accused had passed immigration clearance, collected his checked in baggage from the conveyor belt and opted to come out through Customs Green Channel, i.e. the Channel used for passengers without any dutiable items and proceeded towards the exit point of the arrival hall of the Airport.

At this juncture the officers of DRI intercepted the man and obtained his passport. He had three pieces of baggage and one plastic carry bag with him. One baggage was a blue coloured suitcase. The other two pieces of baggage were card board carton boxes. A plastic carry bag was also in his possession without any tag.

The officers opened all the three baggage and examined in detail. The examination of the card board carton boxes revealed the concealment of 498 packets each weighing 25 gms of Iranian Saffron of brand “Behrang Saffron”. The total weight of these 498 packets of saffron was found to be 12,450 grams.

Upon enquiry with the accused revealed that he chose to bring the said saffron in his accompanied baggage by way of concealment for the lure of money. He could not produce any valid document for the licit possession of the same. The total value of the said 12,450 grams of saffron is about Rs. 12,45,000 at the rate of Rs. 1 lakh per kg, in accordance with the present market. The saffron packets were later seized by the officers.

The accused was produced before the Principal Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mangalore, who was remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days. Asha Nayak, Special Public Prosecutor appeared for DRI.