KATHMANDU – As the current government and security agencies shift their focus toward the upcoming elections on March 5 (Phagun 21), a sophisticated smuggling racket involving undeclared cargo has reportedly resurfaced at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Customs Office.
Investigations reveal a growing trend where exporters deliberately under-report the unit counts on Customs Declaration forms while recording the actual, higher quantities on the Air Waybill (AWB). This discrepancy allows large volumes of undeclared goods to be illegally exported abroad.
Sources indicate that this “bypass” is made possible through a strategic collusion between cargo operators, customs agents, customs officials, and loaders. These illicit activities are reportedly timed to peak during the final hours of the workday or on the eve of public holidays to avoid rigorous oversight.
To evade detection, seasoned cargo operators involved in the racket keep the officially declared goods in the yard as “decoys” to show high-ranking officials during surprise inspections. Meanwhile, the undeclared or illegal goods are hidden within the shipments.
Legitimate stakeholders within the cargo industry claim that these illegal exports could be easily thwarted if the customs administration strictly verified the unit counts on the Customs Declaration forms against the data provided in the Air Waybills.
Reports suggest that concerned businessmen within the cargo sector have already alerted the Chief Customs Administrator, Bishnu Prasad Gyawali, regarding these developments and the increasing trend of smuggling via TIA.
Happy
Sad
Wonderful
Excited
Angry
