2025 (8) TMI 101

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.... Advocate, [In respect of Customs Appeal Nos. 75449 to 75452 of 2022] None (Request for adjournment received) [In respect of Customs Appeal Nos. 75585, 75586 and 75664 of 2022] For the Appellant(s) Shri Tariq Sulaiman, Authorized Representative, For the Respondent ORDER ORDER : [ PER SHRI ASHOK JINDAL ] As all these appeals are having a common issue, they are disposed of together by way of a common order. 2. The facts of the case are that the Officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Guwahati Zonal Unit, on 27.08.2019, received a letter from the Deputy Commissioner of Police, West Police District, Guwahati, Assam wherein it was informed that 25 numbers of trucks loaded with 'areca nuts' (commonly known as &#3....

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....one. The entire body of the trucks found to be covered with tarpaulin sheets and secured tightly with ropes, which were then opened one by one. All the trucks were found to be loaded with dried areca nuts packed in a number of gunny bags; the bags on the upper layer (top layer) of one of the trucks was examined / checked for foreign markings, but none of the said gunny bags were found with any foreign markings. Thereafter, the upper layer (top layer) was overturned and the 2nd (second) layer of the gunny bags were also examined, wherein also no foreign markings were found. It was found that none of the gunny bags contained any foreign markings. Thereafter, similarly, the other trucks were also examined, but no foreign markings were found on....

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....appellants, for confiscation of the areca nuts and imposition of penalties on the appellants. 5. The matters were adjudicated and by way of the impugned orders, the seized consignments of areca nuts / betel nuts were ordered to be absolutely confiscated under Section 111(b) and (d) of the Customs Act, 1962 along with the seized vehicles, which were allowed to be redeemed on payment of redemption fine. Penalties were also imposed on the appellants herein under Section 112(a) and (b) of the Customs Act, 1962. 5.1. The appellants are before us against the imposition of penalties. 6. The Ld. Counsel appearing on behalf of the appellants before us submits that the areca nuts / betel nuts, which have been seized during the course of investigat....