Two in dock for betel leaf smuggling, tax evasion in Bahrain

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Two suspects, both Asian nationals, are in the dock for allegedly smuggling betel leaf into Bahrain and attempting to evade value-added tax.

Set to commence on March 10, the accused face allegations of illegally importing betel leaves (paan) and unauthorised cigarettes while evading value-added tax, selective tax, and customs duties, amounting to BD 148,747.

The Head of the Tax Evasion Crimes Unit at the Financial Crimes and Money Laundering Prosecution said the investigation was prompted by Customs Affairs' suspicions regarding a shipment imported by the defendants under a company's name, originating from an Asian country and bound for Bahrain.

Prohibited betel leaves and unauthorised cigarettes were uncovered during the inspection.

The National Revenue Agency also initiated criminal proceedings against the suspects for failure to pay taxes on the confiscated goods.

Subsequently, the Tax Evasion Crimes Unit conducted an extensive investigation, involving witness testimonies and expert analysis of seized items and import documents.

As a result, both suspects and the associated company were implicated in the alleged offences, leading to their arrest and referral to the High Criminal Court.