On June 6, 2023, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested two Deputy Commissioners of Customs in Mumbai, allegedly involved in a syndicate misusing ‘Transfer of Residence’ provision under the Customs Act. The accused allegedly undervalued imported goods, concealed undeclared items, and collected illegal gratification. Incriminating documents were recovered during multiple location searches. The accused will face trial in court.
Central Bureau of Investigation
06-06-2023
The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested two then Deputy Commissioners of Customs posted at UB Centre, JNCH, Mumbai (Maharashtra) during investigation of two separate cases.
CBI has registered two separate cases against two then Deputy Commissioners of Customs, posted at UB Centre, JNCH, Mumbai and others including a private person, CHA etc. on the allegations of working as syndicate to use passports of various persons who had stayed abroad for more than 02 years and using those passports to import various items in the garb of items belonging to the passport holders.
It has been alleged that the said public servants entered into conspiracy with others at different times during their posting at UB Centre, JNCH, Mumbai and mis-used the provision of “Transfer of Residence” provision under the Customs Act. It has been also alleged that the said syndicate used passports of various persons, who had stayed abroad for more than 02 years especially in Gulf countries to import various items including household items, electronic items and other unknown items by firstly undervaluing the goods and further concealing some other undeclared items along with the other declared items.
Further, the public servants were allegedly collecting illegal gratification through the private person from different CHAs and the illegal gratification so collected was routed to different accounts & persons known to the officers both through banking channel and hawala route. The said modus operandi was adopted by the accused for allegedly giving out of charge to the consignments brought by the CHAs with the help of Customs Officers and illegal gratification was allegedly paid to the public servants through the private person.
Searches were conducted at seven places including at Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Patna & Samastipur (Bihar), Khargon District (Madhya Pradesh) etc. at the premises of accused & their accomplices which led to recovery of various incriminating documents/articles.
The arrested accused will be produced before the Designated Court.