NEW DELHI: A one-time-lock or bottle seal will be affixed on goods arriving at warehouse, said the Revenue Department as it tweaked norms for removal of goods from a customs station.
“The regulations require that goods arriving at the warehouse from a customs station shall be affixed with a one-time-lock (bottle seal) with its serial number endorsed upon the bill of entry for warehousing and the transport document,” said the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).
The Warehouse (Custody and Handling of Goods) Regulations, 2016 and the Special Warehouse (Custody and Handling of Goods) Regulations, 2016 have been notified.
The warehouse keeper or bond officer is required to inspect the seal and when it is found intact, permit the goods to be unloaded at the warehouse, CBEC said.
As per the regulations, in case of removal of goods from a customs station for deposit into a warehouse, the container or means of transport (closed trucks) should be affixed with a one-time lock by the proper officer at the customs station.
All customs stations are required to maintain records incorporating the number of the one-time lock (OTL), bill of entry, truck number, container number, date and time of affixing the OTL, and certain other information.
However, senior officials of Customs may permit movement of goods without affixation of OTLs, where the nature of goods or their manner of transport so warrant (like liquid bulk cargo transported through pipe lines and over dimensional cargo).
The CBEC has asked the Commissionerates to immediately make arrangements for procuring serially numbered one-time-locks.
