Ahmedabad/Kandla:

The Customs sleuths have seized large quantity of mountain cycles and other assorted goods including television parts worth over Rs 4 crore smuggled from China from the Kandla port in Gujarat.

An official of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Zonal Unit, Ahmedabad, which had collected an passed off the intelligence inputs to the Customs sleuths at Kandla, today said that specific intelligence was developed that one Delhi based firm namely M/s. SBL Sales Agency would be attempting to smuggle substantial quantity of Mountain Cycles of various brands like Phoenix, Cavalier Freedom etc. and other assorted items including TV Parts and motor bike accessories in two Containers from Kandla Port by resorting to mis-declaration of quantity, brand and value. It was further gathered that the said Containers would be coming from China.

‘The importer mis-declared these mountain cycles as unbranded and also mis-declared the value as US $6 i.e. Rs. 380/- whereas the actual market is approximately Rs. 20,000/-. Similarly the importer had imported substantial quantity of Counterfeit TV Remote Controls of various brands like Dish TV, Tata Sky, GTPL HD etc. by resorting to gross undervaluation and by mis-declaring them as unbranded with an intent to evade the payment of appropriate customs duty and to bypass the regulatory provisions like IPR (Intellectual Property Rights). Similarly importer mis- declared the value and quantity of motor bike accessories and other TV Parts i.e. transistors, integrated circuits, AV Tuner etc. Officers of DRI, Ahmedabad kept watch on the arrival of the said consignments at Kandla Port. When the said containers reached there and the importer filed the Bills of Entry for clearance of the consignments, the DRI passed on the intelligence to the Special Investigation and Intelligence Branch, Customs Kandla,’ he said.

He added, ” After that Customs Kandla conducted 100% examination of the said consignments and many items were found in excess than declared in documents apart from other rules violations. Customs Kandla seized the said consignments under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 for further enquiry . The estimated market value of seized assorted goods is more than Rs. 4 Crores whereas the value declared by the importer was just Rs. 7.5 Lacs.”

The officer said that due to heightened vigil of DRI, Ahmedabad against the smuggling activities at Mundra Port, such smuggling syndicates have started shifting their work from Mundra Port to Kandla Port.

DeshGujarat