November 2: Birgunj Dry Port Customs found an industry of Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor exporting prohibited leather by providing wrong details.

Annapurna Leather Tanning Industry, based in Bara’s Bhaluhi, established with Chinese investment, has been found exporting banned leather by altering HS code and production. The dry port customs has now stopped one container of leather after the local authorities asked it to investigate into the matter. 

Lal Bahadur Khatri, the head of the customs, said, “A container of leather has been stopped at the border after the company was found exporting banned leather on the pretext of exporting another kind of leather. Information was received in the last phase of the inspection. We are still investigating the issue."

Though the head of customs said the inspection was in the final stage, the container had already passed through customs. The customs office was preparing to load the container on the train by issuing a customs transit declaration (CTD). The customs office has written to the railway operator not to send the sealed container after controversy ensued over it. 

The leather was being sent to Indonesia by providing wrong details.

The customs officials claim that the leather code and product being exported were different. The product was labeled HS code 4101900000 referring it to be ‘Split Buffalo Leather’. However, the code is used for exporting raw, salted, dried, lime-cleaned leather which is banned by the government. 

It has been revealed that the industry had exported such leather earlier as well by submitting false details.

Uddhav Dhungana, officer at the Dry Port Customs, said that the industry had exported banned leather earlier as well by providing the same details. In February 2021, the dry port had sought clarification from the Department of Customs by sending the leather sample but the department had sent a vague reply to the dry port. Based on this letter, the customs office has passed the inspection.

The department's letter said the buffalo's skin was slightly processed, and lacked the presence of chromium.