The Hindu : Business : Bid to contain smuggling and duty evasion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Business

Business

Bid to contain smuggling and duty evasion

Staff Reporter

Customs detected five cases of smuggling in the State last year

KOCHI: The Commissionerate of Customs detected five cases of outright smuggling in the State involving an amount of Rs.8.64 lakhs and four cases of customs duty evasion involving a sum of Rs.63.40 lakhs during last financial year. The total money realised from the culprits was Rs.35.64 lakhs, said P. Ayyam Perumal, Customs Commissioner (Preventive), here on Monday. Mr. Perumal said that during last financial year, ganja plants in 12.5 acres of land were destroyed. A total of 16,000 plants were destroyed in operations by a Customs team. The Commissioner said that five persons had been arrested in connection with duty evasion of Rs.50 lakhs. If the tip off by the informer helps in detecting customs duty evasion, the informer is entitled to 20 per cent of the duty evaded and paid by the party as reward. Mr. Perumal said the public were encouraged to convey any information that would be useful to the Commissionerate on the telephone numbers 0484 2397613, 2378155, 2391352 and 2427355

Mr. Perumal, who took charge on Monday, said the Preventive Commissionerate was engaged in containing outright smuggling and detecting cases of customs duty evasion arising out of the misuse of schemes such as Drawback, DEPB, DEEC, EPCG, etc. Two special narcotics units are located in Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram. The Rummaging and Intelligence unit is located on Willingdon Island.

The Commissionerate is also assisted by Customs Preventive units, sea patrolling units, Rummaging and Intelligence units, Dock Intelligence units and the Narcotic Control units. Units, headed by Superintendents, are located at Majeswaram, Kasaragod, Uduma, Kanhangad, Kannur, Thalassery, Vadakara, Malappuram, Palakkad, Chavakkad, Thodupuzha, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail