DRI busts detains glass panels worth more than Rs. 7 crores smuggled from China, recovers more than Rs. 9.5 crores duty, 4 including Director of Ahmedabad firm arrested

Ahmedabad: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence ( DRI) has detained glass panels worth more than Rs. 7 crores smuggled from China and recovered more than Rs. 9.5 Crores from evaded customs duty from various importers of Ahmedabad, Delhi, Abu Road and Kishangarh and also arrested four people in this connection including Director of Ahmedabad firm

A DRI official today said that specific intelligence was developed by the Zonal Unit, Ahmedabad that various importers of crystallized glass panels were evading payment of appropriate customs duty by resorting to gross undervaluation at Mundra Port, Nhavasheva Port and ICD Tughlakabad. Searches were conducted by the officers of DRI at the premises of several importers at Ahmedabad, Delhi, Abu Road and Kishangarh, Rajasthan. Many incriminating evidences were recovered which revealed that these importers were importing these crystallized glass panels at much higher value from China but were declaring much lower value in the commercial invoices submitted to the Customs to evade import duty.

‘Remittance of the value shown in the invoice was being sent by them to their foreign supplier through banking channels whereas the rest money (difference between the actual value and the value shown in the invoices) was being sent through Hawala channels. During the course of enquiry these importers confessed that they were resorting to undervaluation and thereby evading customs duty. They have voluntarily paid more than Rs. 9.5 crores so far towards customs duty evaded by them. Live consignments of crystallized glass panels imported by these importers at Mundra Port, Nhavasheva Port and ICD Tughlakabad and the consignments lying at there premises/warehouses worth more than Rs. 7 crores have been detained by DRI. Four persons (one Managing Director of a Ahmedabad based company, one Director/Proprietor of two Mumbai based Firms and one each from Abu Road based firm and Kishangarh based Firm) have been arrested so far by DRI in ongoing enquiry,’ he said.

DeshGujarat