Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the gold thefts at the Mumbai Airport Customs warehouse has opened a Pandora's box of rampant irregularities and pilferage of seized contraband meant to be deposited into the Reserve Bank treasury.
The preliminary investigation has exposed the brazen thefts, lack of supervision and audit of the Mumbai Airport Customs to curb the rampant irregularities at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport. A team of CBI officials visited Mumbai Airport Commissioner Manish Mani Tiwari last week for questioning and asked for all documents and records related to the airport customs seizure, confiscation and detention of goods. The Free Press Journal had exposed the pilferage of seized golds from the restricted Customs warehouse at Mumbai airport on Friday with details of corrupt customs officials replacing the precious gold and designer watches with lower value items kept in the safe custody of customs.
Multiple theft instances
CBI's verification of the customs detention register and examination of the sealed packets deposited in the customs warehouse DO-IV exposed multiple instances of thefts. Customs rules stipulate that the batch deputy commissioner visit at DS-I/D/-II, DO-IV and DS-V warehouse twice a week to inspect and ensure no packages are laying for more than the prescribed period. An internal memo of the airport customs had raised alarm of the goods detained in DS-I/D0-II warehouse and DO-IV warehouse missing and items pilfered from sealed packages demanding streamlining procedure for accountability of the precious goods in customs custody.
The detention of dutiable goods of international passengers on arrival at Mumbai Airport were to be deposited in sealed packets in the customs warehouse DO-IV to be returned on departure from India as re-export.
Gold confiscated from flyer recovered from Air Customs officer
Crude gold bracelets of 100 grams confiscated from flyer Irfana Mulani in January 2019 (Detention Receipt A 60354) for duty evasion. The pilfered gold was recovered from air customs officer Udai Gurjar who voluntarily returned other stolen gold coins, gold bars, gold bracelets, gold anklets, rings, bracelets, chains and Rolex watch for return to the customswarehouse. The recovery of stolen items was the role of Mumbai Police investigating the FIR of the missing gold and should be in court custody. Airport Customs to cover up the irregularities returned the pilfered gold to the US national and deposited the rest in customs warehouse.
“Airport Customs failed to audit the inventory of seized items, detention records for re-export and deposits in high security customs warehouse,” alleged senior IRS official privy to the irregularities at Mumbai Airport Customs.
CBI is also questioning Customs officials about the missing gold coins of US national deposited in the customs warehouse in June 2021 which was later replaced with new gold purchased from bullion market by all the 147 customs officers contributing Rs30,000 to placate the angry flyer demanding return of his 995gm of gold.
Rolex replaced by fake one
Another sealed package of Rolex Sky Dweller men's watch valued at Rs28 lakh confiscated by customs officer Dinesh Kumar in October 2019 (detention receipt no 1415) was supposed to be deposited in DO-II but mysteriously ended up in DO-IV warehouse and had been replaced by a fake Rolex. A packet of gold jewellery deposited by customs officer Amit Kumar Meena in DO-IV had also disappeared.
Mumbai Customs has been plagued by a rising number of cases involving individuals in white attire who are arrested for participating in digital extortion rackets. These rackets are operated by customs officers who use threats of arrest in fake gold smuggling cases against unsuspecting travelers.
Customs Principal Chief Commissioner Roopam Kapoor had in March ordered transfers of all 38 front line customs officers to clean up the rampant extortion and corruption racket at the Mumbai Airport.
A total of 94 Customs Superintendents and 53 Customs inspectors are under CBI scrutiny for pilferage of high value items deposited in customs warehouses.
