NEW DELHI: The Customs Preventive Commissionerate (CPC), Vijayawada, has in its recent report on smuggling trends in Andhra Pradesh found that gold and tobacco (foreign cigarettes) have been two major items being illegally brought into the State.
Iron scrap, waste oil, and crackers, purportedly made in China but sporting ‘Made in Sivakasi’ labels, are among the other goods smuggled in the last one year. Besides, traders avoided paying huge sums of customs duty by exploiting the loopholes in the system.
According to official sources, gold is normally smuggled in the form of bars and there have been instances when it was converted into wearable forms to avoid detection at checking points.
At least three cases of smuggling of gold bars were registered in Vijayawada since February 2015 and a few at other places. The origins of this smuggling racket are being traced and places of gold conversion (bars to ornaments) identified.
Foreign cigarettes are found to be smuggled on a large scale in Vijayawada and Guntur. They are also smuggled in Rayalaseema districts, particularly in Tirupati, Adoni, Nandyal, Nandikotkur, Pyapili, Dhone, and Kurnool.
Fire crackers, including some containing banned substances, are found to be smuggled in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram. These explosives are made of a blend of some allowed chemicals with potassium chlorate, which is dangerous and banned in India.
This has been ascertained by the chemistry laboratory at Andhra University campus where samples (of crackers) have been tested.
Iron scrap, waste oil, rice, and raw sugar are smuggled in sizable quantities from the Bay of Bengal off Kakinada coast.
