The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Nhava Sheva, has arrested three persons, including an importer and a customs in-house agent (CHA), for illegally importing green peas by mis-declaring them as bamboo beans, thus undervaluing the goods from over Rs 2 crore to Rs 10 lakh.
The three, importer Rajendra Shejwal, CHA Sudhir Tanna and Ahmedabad businessman Kumudchandra Patel, have been remanded in magistrate’s custody till December 21.
The DRI acted on specific intelligence and examined six containers, seizing almost 117 tons of green peas stuffed in gunny bags. Officials conducted searches of the importer’s firm, Aryan Trading, and of the residential premises of his partner Tanna in Mulund. As per a 2019 notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), green peas, including yellow peas, dun peas and kappa peas are restricted and subject to a minimum import price (MIP) of Rs 200 per kg.
