Mastermind of ₹189 crore Customs Evasion Case Arrested; Court approves DRI Custody

Ludhiana(The Uttam Hindu): Based on specific intelligence, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Zonal Unit Ludhiana has arrested the mastermind of ₹189 crore customs evasion case. The accused was produced before Judicial Magistrate First Class, Ludhiana, who approved his remand to DRI custody for further interrogation on 20.07.2025. The accused was absconding for the last one year.

Investigation revealed that the accused was illegally supplying duty-free imported goods from Customs bonded warehouses to the domestic market through fake owners of three firms. While as per the terms of the bonded warehouse license, these goods were to be used only as raw material in the manufacture of products meant for export.

The entire fraud was aimed at evading duty payable on imported goods, which were sold in the domestic market without payment of duty. The customs duty payable on these goods is almost 100% of the value of the goods. In all, customs duty evasion amounted to ₹189 crore. To evade the export obligation, the accused tried to export counterfeit and fake goods made of foreign material instead of duty-free goods through fake firms.

Detailed investigation in the case is still underway.