Graft tainted cargo terminals raided

Mumbai : All work came to a standstill at the Customs cargo terminals in Navi Mumbai, Mumbai and Pune, following a massive raid carried out by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on Tuesday.

Based on a tip off that a Customs House Agent ( CHA), had established nexus with a syndicate of assessment officers in the various cargo clearing terminals in these three cities, CBI raided all the terminals in the morning and seized documents, unaccounted money and the computers from the work station of these Appraisers.

The raiding teams of the CBI had short listed 14 appraisers attached to Nhava Sheva cargo, Mumbai air cargo and sea port cargo and Pune's air cargo terminals and carried out simultaneous raids at all the terminals. The raids brought work to a standstill, as officials in the assessment section were running helter skelter when teams of CBI officials swooped down at these terminals, to avoid landing in CBI's net.

According to a CBI official a team of Anti Corruption Bureau officials carried out surprise raids at all the terminals and seized unaccounted money from some of the officials, leading to raids at their residences in Pune, Navi Mumbai and Mumbai. A team CBI also raided the CHA's office and residence in Navi Mumbai and Mumbai. "We had received reports that corruption is mainly prevalent in the assessment department of the Customs in Nhava Sheva and some of the Appraisers were hand in glove in with a few CHAs.

Following a credible tip off, we swooped down on all the terminals in the morning and seized incriminating documents against some of these officers underling their underhand dealings and involvement in speed money rackets. The racket had been flourishing for a long time where the CHA Manish Sanghania would call the shots at these cargo clearing terminals by bribing his way through. Sanghania, is alleged to have paid for the travel and holiday expenses of some these officials and even gifted them with expensive hi- tech gizmos and laptops," claimed a CBI official.

CBI Superintendent Amitabh Thakur said that an First Information Report under section was registered under the IPC section 120(B)(criminal conspiracy) and sections of Prevention of Corruption Act a few weeks back against the Customs officials of different ranks ranging from Additional Commissioner to Examiner.

Sanghania, who had cultivated and manipulated these officials, for clearing imported goods by allegedly undervaluing and mis- declaring the contents of the consignments, was also named in the FIR. " We have still not arrested any Customs official or Sanghania since we are examining documentary evidence seized from these terminals, residences and offices of Customs officials. We raided totally 38 locations and 32 teams of CBI sleuths were involved in the raid, on Tuesday" claimed Thakur.

A CBI officer pointed out Nhava Sheva port is a hotbed for corruption and not only the role of Appraisers, Examiners and Preventive Officers are under the scanner, but even senior officers of the rank of Additional Commissioiners of Customs and below, will be questioned, in connection with Sanghania's role in facilitating in the evasion duty.

Till late Tuesday evening, CBI sleuths were rummaging through documents and computer of Appraiser Ramesh Kumar, who is posted at the cargo clearing terminal in Nhava Sheva port.

In 2009, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had issued show cause notice to importers of foreign make four wheelers and arrested eight importers on charges of evading Custom duty by misdeclaring the price and model.