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Who knows what to do with 1m kilos of smuggled turmeric?
Sri Lanka Customs, saddled with one million kilos of imported turmeric, is awaiting orders from the government on its disposal.
A consignment of 62 containers containing 27 metric tonnes arrived last July after the ban on turmeric in December 2020 was imposed. The stocks are being stored at the Customs storage facility in Orugodawatte, Colombo.
A directive to importers to return the consignment to country of origin, as the government directed, has met a slow response because of accumulated demurrage fees for storage at the Customs yard.
Customs Spokesman Sunil Jayaratne said part of the seized turmeric – about 1000kg – had been handed over to the Ayurveda Department free of charge.
“However, now they have refused to accept more turmeric because local turmeric can be purchased fresh from the market,” he said.
“We are awaiting orders about its disposal,” Mr. Jayaratne said.
The Export Agriculture Department has promised to have local turmeric available in the market in the first week of February. A harvest of 22,000 metric tonnes is expected locally, which will turn out as 3,500kg of cured turmeric.
Director of Exports, Dr. A.P. Heenkanda, said this amount would cover more than half the country’s requirement.
The country needs around 7000kg of dried turmeric annually.
Meanwhile, the smuggling of turmeric from neighbouring India to the north-western coastal areas continues, with law officers scuttling several attempts by smugglers to bring in the scarce rhizome.
In the first three weeks of this year alone, there have been reports of two incidents in Colombo and the north-western naval areas in which nearly 10,000kg of smuggled dried turmeric was seized.
On January 16, the navy seized 1,260kg in Dematagoda and arrested two people.
The previous week, the navy found 8,700kg in two Indian dhows, arresting 12 Indian nationals.
On average, two turmeric smuggling attempts a week have been intercepted by the navy, coastal police and the Special Task Force over the past six months. The smugglers come over in fishing boats and dinghies from neighbouring India.
Another smuggled consignment came from Dubai – 25,540kg of turmeric hidden among onions at the Colombo Port last month. Also in December, 7,800kg was found hidden in wheat from India.
Mr. Jayaratne said about 50 metric tonnes of turmeric smuggled in by boat was in the possession of Customs.
While Customs have not been authorised to burn the product, police last December took action to burn 25,900kg of turmeric they had seized.
Customs, which bears the responsibility of prosecuting suspects, said that of 25 cases of smuggling only two have been investigated. Action on the remainder had been delayed due to the pandemic.
Superintendent N.P.P. Ratnayake said logistical problems prohibited staff from travelling between districts during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The risk involved in travelling has restricted us,” he said.
This situation has allowed smugglers to gain bail easily as government policy is not to overcrowd prisons for fear of coronavirus spreading. Smugglers also believe the situation would lead the Government to be lenient towards them.
