CHENNAI: The Chennai Seaport Customs on Monday seized Rs 1.5-crore worth illegal Chinese firecrackers smuggled in from China in a container at the Chennai Port and arrested the Maharashtra-based importer, sources said.
The cargo had been declared as artificial flowers. However, based on intelligence, Customs officials checked the container and found around 14,000 pieces of fireworks, sources said, adding that this was the first time the importer had made such an attempt.
Smuggling of Chinese firecrackers has been noted across ports on the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, like Chennai and Thoothukudi, given their proximity to China. Customs authorities at Mumbai’s Nhava Sheva Port too had seized crackers worth Rs 11 crore in February.
Chinese firecrackers are in huge demand due to the grand visual display they offer and are openly sold across India, trade sources said. However its import is restricted by the Indian government, and sale and use is banned for multiple reasons.
A 2019 press note stated that Chinese firecrackers contain banned chemicals, like red lead, copper oxide and lithium, which are highly dangerous and inimical to the environment. Their legal import mandates a license from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) which will require clearances from the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organization (PESO), a senior official said.
Secondly, the import of these crackers affects the Indian industry, a majority of which is located in Sivakasi in southern Tamil Nadu. “Firecracker manufacturing is a labour-intensive industry. Mass import of Chinese firecrackers will take away Indian jobs,” said P Kamaraj, a manufacturer in Sivakasi.
While most types of Indian crackers are competitively priced compared to their Chinese counterparts, some varieties, such as the ‘fountain’ type, cost double, which make the Chinese products attractive in India’s grey market, Kamaraj explained. “They are used for stage shows, marriages and such functions,” he added.
Sources said that Chinese firecrackers are marketed through social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube and also might be sold directly through those channels.