Sanath Jayasuriya, two other cricketers, accused of smuggling rotten betel nuts to India: Report

Former Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya and two other cricketers have been accused of smuggling rotten betel nuts to India, according to a news report.

According to a report in The Dainik Bhaskar, Jayasuriya's name came to light after the directorate of revenue intelligence had seized betel nut worth millions of rupees in Nagpur. The report also claimed that Jayasuriya was called to Mumbai for questioning by the revenue intelligence team. 

Two other cricketers have been said to be involved in the alleged tax-evasion fraudulent deal but their names are yet to be revealed, said the report. These cricketers are likely to be called for the probe by December 2, it said.

The betel nuts were brought from Indonesia to Sri Lanka from where it was brought to India, the report said quoting Dilip Sivare, the deputy director of revenue intelligence.

It furthur said that dummy companies were believed to have been formed in Sri Lanka to draw an illegal advantage out of the SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area) Act that gives a tax holiday on certain consignments between neighbours Sri Lanka and India for goods produced indigenously by either and sold to the other.

The report said that the cricketers used their stardom and popularity to get the trade and export licences from the Sri Lankan authorities to form the dummy companies as well as create fake documents certifying that the betel nuts were produced in Sri Lanka.

There is a 108% import duty if betel nut is imported directly from Indonesia. But the heavy import duty can be evaded if imports are done from Sri Lanka under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement.