The Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) has arrested 19 accused (6 Customs officials & 13 private persons) including an Assistant Commissioner, Superintendents, Inspectors, private persons(including Sri Lankan Nationals) in a case related to alleged bribery and smuggling of goods.
Searches were conducted at various places including residences of public servants and others at Trichy, Coimbatore, Madurai, Virudhnagar, Chennai & Rasipuram which has led to recovery of huge cash and several documents. Earlier, during this operation at Trichy Airport, CBI recovered cash of Rs.9 lakh(approx) collected as alleged illegal gratification.
CBI had registered a case against 6 Customs Officials including one Assistant Commissioner, two Superintendent of Customs, two Inspectors of Customs & an official posted at Trichy International Airport and 13 private persons including Sri Lankan Nationals. It was alleged that a large scale smuggling of contraband goods through the Trichy airport was going on with active connivance of the customs officials who were obtaining undue advantages from smugglers in the form of illegal gratification for allowing goods from Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia etc., without payment of customs duty, thereby causing huge revenue loss to the Government of India.
It was further alleged that the private persons carrying goods ( viz gold, liquor, cigarettes etc.) had arrived in the evening of 5th August 2018 by Sri Lankan Airlines and they were allowed by said custom officials to pass through the customs without payment of duty. It was also alleged that these passengers were regular carriers and in nexus with the custom officials had been smuggling goods etc at regular intervals.
The arrested accused are being produced before the Competent Court.
Investigation is in progress.
