In an operation that continued for over 12 days, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Chennai, seized smuggled electronic goods and cosmetics valued at Rs.13.54 crore. Two persons were arrested and remanded in this regard.
C. Rajan, Additional Director General, DRI, said that following specific information, a team of DRI officials kept watch and intercepted a container load of goods that arrived from Singapore and was booked in the name of a Tiruvanmiyur-based enterprise.
The goods were declared as 205 air conditioners 273 mini audio systems. When the container kept in a container freight station was examined, it revealed that while the air conditioners and audio systems were kept in the front portion, LED, LCD and 3D television sets were kept behind them. They were valued at Rs.2.83 crore.
The authorities arrested J. Shaik Parith and J. Basheer Ahamed of Royapuram, who admitted to their involvement.
The DRI officials then searched a godown in Angappa Naicken Street in George Town belonging to them, which resulted in the recovery of air conditioners, which was valued at Rs.13.75 lakh. When they searched another godown in Royapuram area the authorities seized air conditioners, expensive television sets totally valued at Rs.92.95 lakh. In a search conducted in two godowns in Kalmandapam last Friday, the officials seized air conditioners, which were valued at Rs.3 crore. During the search in the second godown, they seized cosmetics in large quantities. The goods were valued at Rs.2 crore. On the same day, three more containers which came from Singapore were also searched by the DRI officials and it revealed smuggling of air conditioners and expensive television sets. The value of the consignments was Rs.4.65 crore. The arrested persons had evaded Customs duty to the tune of Rs.10 crore, Mr. Rajan said.
