Ahmedabad: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence team of Ahmedabad has seized illegally imported Samsung /Sony TVs and Panels worth Rs. 12 crores brought from Singapore to the Inland container depot (ICD) Ankaleshwar in central Gujarat.

A DRI official today said that based on the intelligence gathered by the officers of DRI, Ahmedabad that the goods i.e. LED TVs of Samsung and Sony Company and Panels of Sony LED TV are imported in huge quantity by Raj Traders, Mumbai and Ideal Impex, Delhi from Singapore in violation of Electronic and Information Technology Goods (requirements for compulsory Registration) order, 2012 and by indulging in gross undervaluation. Officers from DR examined the said consignments of TVs and TV Panels at ICD Ankleshwar. Keeping in view the safety of Indian consumers and to curb the inflow of substandard electronic products, the above mentioned order was notified on October 3, 2012 by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the provision of Compulsory Registration Scheme of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 1986. This Order calls for prohibition to manufacture/sell/import unless these goods have been tested to Indian Safety Standards, registered with BIS and display registration logo (Standard Mark).

”Investigation conducted in the matter revealed that Samsung LED TVs were manufactured by Samsung Egypt. The said LED TVs were imported without BIS registration as Samsung Egypt is not registered with BIS in India. To hoodwink the Customs authorities stickers were pasted on cartons of TVs showing its supplier as Samsung India. Examination of Sony LED TVs revealed that some type of tampering was done in the stickers pasted on the cartons / boxes of LED TVs which gave rise to suspicion about the origin of the said consignments. Further, the BIS registration details shown on Sony LED TVs were either expired or did not match. Detail scrutiny of import documents further revealed that the said LED TVs of Samsung and Sony make were imported in India at throwaway prices which are approximately half the prices at which the said LED TVs are imported in the Indian Market. The Panels of Sony LED TV were actually dis-assembled LED TV and not a part. The other parts of disassembled TVs are suspected to have been imported at other ports in India. Once all the parts imported, they are assembled and sold as LED TV in the Indian Market. This modus operandi is adopted to bypass the mandatory requirement of Registration with BIS, India and to dump the sub-standard product in the name of Sony brand in the Indian market,” he said.

”The owner as well as Manager of the two firms which imported these could not explain mis-declaration resorted by them. Further, the said LED TVs are suspected to
be meant for grey market in India which results in creation of black money in the Economy. The aforesaid LED TVs and Panels having total market value of Rs. 12 crores
(approx.) have been seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Further enquiry is under progress, he said.

DeshGujarat