The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Additional Commissioner of Customs, Sathish Kumar, along with three other officials for allowing the illegal import of restricted green peas worth Rs. 2 crore at Chennai Port. According to DTNext, the other arrested officers are Superintendent Shiv Kashyap, Appraising Officer Nithish Kumar, and Examiner Manish, all working at the seaport customs.
According to import rules, green peas can only be imported through the Kolkata port, but in this case, the shipment came directly from Dubai. The importers falsely declared the goods as urad dal and toor dal to clear customs without any restrictions. When DRI officials searched two containers, they found 100 tonnes of green peas instead of the declared goods.
During the investigation, WhatsApp chats between the accused officers and importers revealed that the customs officials had demanded cash and other benefits to allow the illegal shipment. Initially, only three officers were arrested, but later, the role of Additional Commissioner Sathish Kumar was also exposed.
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Certain agricultural products, including green peas, pulses, and grains, are restricted to specific ports in India due to customs regulations, phytosanitary checks, and market control policies. The import restrictions help prevent the spread of plant diseases and pests, protect domestic farmers from cheap foreign imports, and ensure compliance with quality standards.
The officers arrested are now facing charges of customs fraud and corruption. DRI officials are continuing their investigation to determine whether other officers or importers were involved in similar smuggling activities.
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