What the racketeers do is pay a small fine for the arecanuts they have imported without a license and then re-export the lot.

They use the names of five companies, and one of them had imported five times without a license, but is yet to be blacklisted, as top Customs officers are behind them.

Ravi does not know

However, finance minister Ravi Karunanayake does not know about this racket, reports say.

Two leading businessmen who have been involved in the re-export of arecanuts and the chairman of an institution are among these racketeers, add the reports.