A joint government team impounded at least 77 cargo trucks containing products of Dabur Nepal in Birgunj on Sunday on suspicion of irregularities.

The container trucks carrying Dabur Nepal products were on their way to India from Sirsiya Dry Port in Birgunj.

A team from the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority, District Administration Office and the Department of Food Technology and Quality (DFTQC) confiscated the cargo containers. An investigation was launched immediately, with the team finishing checking as many as 25 containers by 5pm Sunday.

Following a complaint filed with the anti-graft body, DFTQC and DAO, the government agencies authorised to oversee such matters, were instructed to investigate. CIAA officials were also involved in the investigation.

Though it was suspected that the Dabur Nepal products being exported to India had wrong manufacturing dates printed on the packages, no substantial evidence was found during the investigation.

“We have collected samples from all the containers. Investigation is underway,” said Himalayan Shreshta, a DSP at the CIAA.

Laxmi Narayan Sharma, customs representatives for Dabur Nepal, however, claimed that the company was not exporting expired products.

“Juice items were produced in September, and they still have three to four months of shelf life,” said Sharma.

CIAA Spokesperson Krishna Hari Pushkar said representatives from the anti-graft body were present during the raid which was carried out by other government agencies, including DAO and DFTQC.

DSP Shrestha informed that the CIAA was checking quality and expiry dates of the Dabur products as per the complaints lodged with the CIAA.

The government team also raided the Bara-based Dabur Nepal factory in Tokani, Rampur, and its regional juice store in Birgunj.

Customs chief Devi Prasad Bhandari said that 77 out of 90 containers with Dabur Nepal products had reached the port on Sunday.

Earlier in December 2010, the CIAA had raided the Dabur Nepal factory after receiving complaints that the company had printed wrong manufacturing dates on its product packages.