Mumbai: More than 3,800 second-hand laptops and other electronic accessories seized by the Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch (SIIB) of Customs went missing from the warehouse of the Customs at Uran in Navi Mumbai.
The Uran police initiated an inquiry and are in the process of registering an FIR in the case. The disappearance of so many laptops worth several crores from the highly guarded warehouse, with round-the-clock CCTV surveillance, raised serious concerns over security.
Officials said that Ameya Logistics CFS (Container Freight Station) filed a complaint with the Uran police early this week, alleging that when the SIIB officials opened the warehouse, they found the seal of the warehouse broken and laptops missing. They immediately alerted the senior officials and lodged a complaint with the Uran police.
“We received Ameya Logistics’ complaint in which they alleged that on December 4, when they opened the godown, they found their seal of the container broken. At the time of sealing, the weight of the container was around 9,300 kgs, and after the seal was broken, its weight was 3,200 kg. Hence, they suspect that 80% of their seized electronic goods were stolen,” said Jitendra Misal, senior inspector of Uran police station.
Police are also verifying other details from the Customs regarding the importer of this consignment and his background. Police said that they are looking into various angles, including a habitual gang of thieves, and have not ruled out the possibility of insider involvement.
In Feb this year, on specific intelligence, the SIIB (Import) at Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House (JNCH), Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, seized 4,600 old/used refurbished laptops of various brands and 1,546 old/used CPUs, with a total value of Rs 4.11 crore, imported from the UAE. Upon thorough examination, it was discovered that the CPUs were used to conceal old and used refurbished branded laptops in good condition. Additionally, cash amounting to Rs 27.37 lakhs was seized from the importer’s office. The consignment was imported from UAE by a Hong Kong-based supplier to evade Customs duty.
Importing such goods without proper authorisation is restricted as per the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Policy. Thus, the importer evaded a huge Customs duty and caused a significant loss to the exchequer.
