A retired Mumbai Police officer has written a strong complaint letter to the Customs Joint Commissioner, Air Intelligence Unit at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai of extortion racket run by men in white at the Customs Clearance Zone near the baggage hall of the passenger terminal.
𝗔𝗰𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁
Strangely the guilty officers later identified as Customs Superintendent Lokesh Tanwar, Pankaj Pol and a lady Customs Superintendent were transferred to lucrative Duty Free Zone posting after the complaint demanding action against the trio was made by the former cop.
The retired police sub inspector Ashok Laxman Sawant was distressed after his daughter was illegally detained at the Mumbai International Airport on arrival from Dubai on vacation to India during Diwali. “My daughter is in Dubai for last five years on employment visa and visits India on annual paid leave during Diwali. She had cleared immigration and after claiming baggages was accosted by customs officials in civils and questioned about her travel to Dubai,” stated Ashok Sawant in his complaint.
𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺, 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
According to the police officer, the customs officers escorted her to a questioning room where another woman customs officer in civil clothes asked her about the gold ornaments worn and demanded reciepts. “My daughter explained that the gold ring and chain were personal jewellery that she has been wearing for several years. Since nothing inappropriate could be pinned on her, the lady officer redirected her focus on my daughter passport. She was informed that she has visited India within a period of six months and that she has to pay Customs duty on the gold bought by her,” alleged Sawant.
The customs rule stipulate that a passenger can avail duty free gold only once in six months of travel and ignored the passengers protest that she had travelled to India after 9 months to India. The woman customs officer later called her superiors who demanded ₹50,000 customs duty for the gold the former police officers daughter was wearing. “My daughter has thyroid and panicked, She requested the customs to allow make a call as her phone had no network. No other options like wi-fi or landline was available to make call for assistance. Finally the custom officer offered his mobile hot spot to make a quick call,” said the distraught father.
𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 ₹𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗘𝘅-𝗰𝗼𝗽
Sensing her distress the customs officer asked her to make whatever cash she had in her purse which was about Rs 10,000 kept for travel to native place Kudal, Sindhudurg. The offciers taunted the young passenger saying “Ap to Dubai mai rehte hai, itna kamate hai to itna to de hi sakte hai” & threatened to book her in case of gold smuggling.
“She even disclosed my status of retired Mumbai Police officer hoping to gain some leverage but to failed to get any respite. She cried for some travel money for auto and train fare till Navi Mumbai. The woman officer threw Rs 1000 and asked to get lost without issuing any receipt,” explained Ashok Sawant about the ordeal of his daughter.
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
She somehow managed to reach their Navi Mumbai residence the same night and later arranged some funds from neigbourds and reached Kudal the next morning by train & narrated her ordeal to parents. “She was taken into a room for questioning room which had no WiFi, Landline or CCTV. The officer in civil clothes hid their idnetity by hanging the ID card on their neck facing inside out. The customs officers were adamant on payments or face arrest,” alleged Sawant.
When asked for comments Airport Customs Chief Commissioner Roopam Kapoor directed The Free Press Journal to contact the Airport Commissioner stating “Pls contact Air Intelligence Unit Airport Commissioner.”
Airport Commissioner Manish Mani Tiwari did not respond to calls and messages for comments.
