DIMAPUR, AUGUST 12 (MExN): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), India's chief anti-smuggling intelligence, investigations and operations agency, has busted a syndicate involved in smuggling of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) from China into India through Myanmar via the land borders in North Eastern states. In a major anti-smuggling operation conducted by the officers of DRI and Customs, the Department seized a total of 122.5 MT of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) valued around Rs 10 crore smuggled from China with the objective of evading not just the Customs duties and GST, but also Anti-Dumping Duty, all adding up to duty evasion of approximately Rs 4.81 crore. According to a press release issued by DRI, this is the biggest ever Anti-dumping duty evasion case detected in the North Eastern Region. The officers of DRI, acting on intelligence, recovered and seized the consignment in bulk packs weighing 88 MTs, valued at Rs 7.04 crore from several godowns situated at Vairengte in Mizoram. The cartons, each weighing 25 kgs in which the Ascorbic Acid was packed, bore inscriptions “Ascorbic Acid, BP/USP/EP/FCC/E300, Made in China.” The recovered consignment of Vitamin C is believed to have been smuggled from Shandong province of China via sea route to South East Asia and then entered India via Myanmar through Zowkhatar border in Mizoram. After crossing the Indo-Myanmar border through Zowkhatar, the smuggled goods were brought to Vairengte in trucks, where it was temporarily stored for onward transportation to other parts of India. Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) imports from China attract Anti-dumping duty @ 3.74 USD per kg, as per the Ministry of Finance Notification No: 38/2015 (ADD) dated 6.8.2015 along with other applicable Customs duties, namely, BCD@ 10 % and IGST@ 18 %. Acting in close coordination with DRI, the officers of Customs in the state of Mizoram further intercepted 34.5 MT of Ascorbic Acid from different premises in the same area, involving additional duty evasion of Rs 1.27 crores. The case further establishes the sensitivity of India-Myanmar border which is being exploited by international syndicates to smuggle narcotics drugs & psychotropic substances, gold, wildlife products and commercial goods, the press release pointed out while adding that DRI is closely monitoring the illicit activity on this border.