Customs seize 9.99 tonnes of ‘Chinese garlic’ worth Rs 21L

The officials of the Customs Commissionerate (Preventive) in Vijayawada, along with the Nellore Customs Preventive Unit, intercepted a truck carrying a large consignment of garlic near Nellore. The goods, suspected to be illegally imported from China, weighed 9,990 kg (9.99 tonnes) worth Rs 21.97 lakh.
S Narasimha Reddy, Commissioner, Customs Commissionerate (Preventive), Vijayawada, in a release on Wednesday said that the garlic, packed in 333 bags, was loaded in Jhanjharpur, Bihar, and was intended for distribution in the Koyambedu market, Chennai. Acting on tip off, the Customs officials tracked the truck and conducted an examination, which led to the seizure.
Narasimha Reddy said that the import of garlic from China is prohibited under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003, which is enforced by the Ministry of Agriculture to prevent the entry of exotic pests and diseases that could pose a threat to Indian agriculture. Laboratory testing confirmed that the garlic samples were infected with Embellisia allii (Dry Rot), a quarantine pest in India known to damage garlic crops.
The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation had already stopped issuing permits for the import of garlic from China due to repeated interceptions of this harmful fungus. Experts warn that the fungus can spread through infected garlic discarded as waste or used as manure, potentially causing long-term harm to indigenous garlic production in India.