Is a 1,000-crore gold export fraud unraveling at Chennai airport?
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Synopsis
A staggering gold export scam involving Customs officials and jewellery traders at Chennai Airport has come to light, with the CBI registering an FIR. This scheme, which allegedly defrauded the government of over Rs 1,000 crore annually, highlights serious vulnerabilities in customs checks and trade facilitation processes.
Key Takeaways
- CBI has filed an FIR in a major gold export scam.
- The fraud involved over Rs 1,000 crore in government losses.
- Investigators discovered counterfeit jewellery in shipments.
- Systemic vulnerabilities in customs checks have been highlighted.
- Further investigations may implicate additional individuals.
Chennai, Sep 2 (NationPress) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a First Information Report (FIR) concerning a significant gold export scam at Chennai Airport Cargo, where a coalition of Customs officials and jewellery traders is accused of swindling over Rs 1,000 crore from the Union government each year between 2020 and 2022.
The FIR lists 13 individuals, including five Customs officials, a jewellery assessor, a customs agent, and four manufacturers of gold jewellery.
Those implicated comprise Customs Superintendents J. Sureshkumar, Alok Shukla, and P. Tulasiram; jewellery assessor N. Samuel; customs agent Mariyappan; and manufacturers Deepak Siroya, Santosh Kothari, Sunil Parmar, and Sunil Sharma.
Investigators claim that the accused imported 24-carat gold bars through the Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) scheme, which required the bars to be transformed into 22-carat ornaments for re-export.
Instead, they purportedly exported gold-plated brass and copper ornaments or inferior jewellery, pocketing the profits and inflicting significant losses on the exchequer.
This fraudulent operation first became apparent in 2022 when the Central Revenue Intelligence (CRI) identified discrepancies in bills of lading for shipments destined for Gulf nations. Physical inspections revealed counterfeit or substandard ornaments instead of authentic gold jewellery.
The CRI subsequently recommended a CBI investigation, but the case faced delays due to the need for sanctions to prosecute Customs officials. Recently, the Union government granted approval, allowing the agency to proceed. Following the case registration, CBI teams have conducted searches at the Chennai Airport Customs Cargo Office, residences of Customs officials in areas such as Pallavaram, Alandur, Nanganallur, and Anna Nagar, along with jewellery shops and manufacturers' offices in Flower Bazaar, Sowcarpet, and Kondithope.
Officials also analyzed the XRF Spectrometer employed to assess gold purity at the cargo terminal and confiscated incriminating documents.
According to CBI sources, this case underscores systemic weaknesses in customs oversight and the exploitation of trade facilitation schemes.
As evidence continues to be collected, officials indicated that additional individuals may be scrutinized, suggesting that this scam could evolve into one of the largest financial frauds associated with airport cargo operations in the nation.
Point of View
This situation exposes critical loopholes within our customs and trade systems. As we support the investigative efforts of the CBI, it is essential to ensure accountability and strengthen our regulatory frameworks to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
NationPress
02/09/2025
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the gold export fraud at Chennai Airport about?
The fraud involves a collusion of Customs officials and jewellery traders accused of defrauding the government of over Rs 1,000 crore through the misappropriation of gold import schemes.
How did the fraud come to light?
The Central Revenue Intelligence detected anomalies in shipment documents and subsequent inspections revealed counterfeit jewellery instead of genuine gold items.
What actions has the CBI taken?
The CBI has registered an FIR, conducted searches at various locations, and is in the process of gathering more evidence and investigating additional individuals.
What are the implications of this fraud?
This case highlights significant weaknesses in customs oversight and raises concerns about the integrity of trade facilitation schemes in India.
Who are the key individuals involved in the case?
The FIR names several Customs officials and jewellery traders, including Customs Superintendents and manufacturers.
