CBI registers a case against a Joint Commissioner & five other officials of Central Excise & Customs and conducts searches at seven places in Kerala.
CBI Press Release
New Delhi , 20-07-2011
The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against a Joint Commissioner; an Assistant Commissioner; four Supdts & one Inspector of Central Excise of Thiruvananthapuram Airport and one clearing agent for cheating and allegedly obtaining illegal gratification.
It was alleged that the customs officials and clearing agents of Unaccompanied Baggage Section of Air Cargo Complex, Thiruvananthapuram Airport have been engaged in the unauthorized import of various items for sale/distribution in different parts of Kerala and other States in the guise of unaccompanied baggage using the names & passports of different persons and thus cheating the Govt. of India & obtaining illegal gratification for themselves. CBI intercepted 4 mini trucks loaded at Air Cargo Complex, Thiruvananthapuram Airport with goods cleared by Customs Officials. During the verification, the Passport holders, in whose names the said goods were cleared, disowned the ownership of the said goods so cleared and admitted that they have only handed over their Passports to different clearing agents on their request for making imports of various goods from abroad, in the guise of unaccompanied baggage using their Passports.
Searches were conducted at seven places which resulted in recovery of incriminating documents showing payments allegedly made to public servants by the clearing agents.
Further investigating is continuing.
