Complete ban on metal scrap imports sought

The revenue department has sought a complete ban on imports of unshredded and uncompacted metal scrap, even as the government is investigating the involvement of a Pakistani national in the recent recovery of shells and explosives in the country.

Central Board of Excise and Customs Chairman AK Singh told reporters that a Pakistani national, Dilawar Hussain, was the owner of the Dubai-based Lucky Metals, which supplied the consignment of explosives-laden metal scrap to Bhushan Steel that exploded in its Ghaziabad factory killing 10 people.

"Dilawar Hussain has been found to be the owner of Lucky Metals. But we will come to know more details only after investigations," he said.

The revenue department is pushing for further tightening of scrap import guidelines. It has sought the assistance of forensic experts at major locations to handle explosives and radioactive material as the Customs department has neither the expertise nor proper equipment.

"Import of metallic waste and scraps will be permitted only in compact form as we do not have the expertise to handle scrap containing rockets and missiles," Singh said.

Customs authorities were being advised to convene a meeting of importers of such scrap at ports and inland container depots under their jurisdiction and advise them to approach the local police to segregate explosives from normal cargo and defuse them. The industry can avail of the services on payment of a fee.

The home ministry has convened a meeting of home secretaries of the states where missile and rocket shells have been recovered recently. Officials from the commerce department, the Director-General of Foreign Trade, Customs and National Security Guards will also attend the meeting.

The Uttar Pradesh government has also written to the Centre asking it to alert its agencies to ensure that explosives did not find their way into the country along with imported scrap.

Last week, the DGFT had restricted the import of compact shredded scrap from all minor ports. It had, however, allowed unscrapped and uncompacted metal to be imported through major ports and the inland container depot at Tuglaqabad.

The move is, however, expected to adversely affect the domestic industry.