Customs Broker’s Due Diligence Failures Warrant Penalty, Not Licence Cancellation: CESTAT Chennai

Commissioner of Customs Vs S. Murugan (CESTAT Chennai) The three appeals arose from two Orders-in-Original passed under the Customs Brokers Licensing Regulations (CBLR), 2013. The Customs Broker challenged the forfeiture of security deposit, while the department challenged the revocation of suspension and the decision not to revoke the licence despite findings of regulatory violations. The proceedings originated from a DRI investigation into alleged fraudulent drawback exports through dummy firms. The Inquiry Officer held that violations of Regulations 11(a), 11(b), 11(n), and 17(9) of CBLR, 2...