The Hindu : National : Rs. 8-crore scam in duty drawback

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 22, 2006

National

National

Rs. 8-crore scam in duty drawback

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI:

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday conducted searches at 30 places in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Nawanshahr in Punjab in connection with the alleged fraudulent transfer of money by customs officials in the accounts of about 20 exporters.

CBI files criminal case

The money to the tune of Rs. 8 crore was reportedly transferred fraudulently in the form of supplementary duty drawback claims, a CBI spokesperson said. CBI has registered a criminal case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act against two customs officials and others for defrauding the Government to the extent of Rs. 8 crore.

False records

It has also been alleged that during 2004-06, supplementary duty drawback claims of some exporters were accepted and payments made by some customs officials. The claims were processed without any actual physical receipt of such claims by manipulating and creating false records in the database in the computers of the customs office.

Duty drawback claims were credited to the bank accounts of the exporters electronically and subsequently the money was utilised by the exporters, CBI said. The procedure followed by the accused was as follows: no documents for supplementary claims submitted to the Customs, no token number generated, no file opened and subsequently no scrutiny and examination of the documents undertaken by the Customs officials. The entries in the computer system were manipulated and the sanctioned amount of the supplementary amount of the duty drawback was transferred to the bank of the exporters electronically.

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