CHANDIGARH, Apr 2: A joint search operation of goods trains and Samjhauta Express by Customs along with Railways and police has been proposed to prevent smuggling of narcotics and contraband from Pakistan.
The proposal has been made by Amritsar Customs department to the Union Finance Ministry, Customs Commissioner (Amritsar) Sunil Sawhney said today.
“To prevent smuggling of contraband by concealment in the goods train and Samjhauta Express, joint rummaging of trains along with railways and police authorities has been proposed to the Ministry of Finance for approval,” he said in Amritsar.
In 2013-14, the Customs department has seized about 74 kg of heroin, worth Rs 374 crore in international market, which were concealed in goods train and Samjhauta Express coming from Pakistan.
Besides, arms and ammunition including 14 pistols, 28 magazines, 56 live cartridges, were also recovered from passenger’s baggage and good trains, he said, adding to check smuggling, an Air Intelligence Unit at the airport and Rail Intelligence Unit at the Attari railway station in Amritsar were set up in January this year.
“Following these measures, a total of 13.485 kg of gold worth Rs 3.91 crore were recovered at airport from passengers arriving from Dubai,” he said.
Sawhney further said the department has also proposed setting up of a bank counter at Amritsar airport to facilitate passengers for conversion of foreign exchange and payment of Customs duties.
“Lack of banking facility at the international airport causes inconvenience to passengers arriving from abroad for conversion of foreign exchange and payment of Customs duties,” he said, adding matter has been taken up with the Department of Financial Services in Ministry of Finance for starting a bank counter within the airport premises.
The Commissioner stressed on allowing banking facility on Sundays and other holidays at Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari and said it would be taken up with the Ministry.
Sharing details regarding about revenue collections at Amritsar Commissionerate, Sawheny said Customs duty mobilization touched Rs 867.86 crore mark despite granting of duty drawback of Rs 290 crore in 2013-14.
“Of these, Inland Container Depots (ICDs) in Punjab, mainly Ludhiana contributed Rs 757.80 crore whereas ICP Attari (Amritsar) contributed Rs 119.32 crore,” he said.
He said that department collects duty from dry ports at Ludhiana, Dappar and Jalandhar and ICP Attari and Rail Cargo, Amritsar from where the cross-border trade between India and Pakistan takes place.
The cross-border trade between India and China, which is essentially barter trade, takes place from Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh.
Sawhney also informed about a number of trade facilitation measures to promote trade at various Land Customs Stations, including constitution of Permanent Trade Facilitation Standing Committee, to resolve procedural bottlenecks to cut down transaction costs of importers and exporters.
“Electronic Data Interface (EDI) has been commissioned at ICP Attari to do away with manual processing of Customs formalities which will reduce the dwell time of cargo, he said, adding EDI has started for exports and would be introduced for imports by the May end.
On account of these trade facilitation measures, revenue collections in January to March this year has rose by about nine per cent as compared to the same period last year, and as against the Revised Estimate of six per cent in the last quarter of the financial year.
The Customs Commissioner at Amritsar, has jurisdiction over the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory of Chandigarh. (PTI)
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