Customs appraiser creates alter ego to help fraudsters scam crores of rupees

THE green peas import scam detected by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) two weeks ago is not the only major case where the alleged collusion of Chennai Customs officers and fraudsters has been found.

- SIDDHARTH PRABHAKAR

Customs' own intelligence wing has dug up a case where Sandeep Kumar Chorasiya, an ex-serviceman from the Indian Air Force working as an appraiser in Chennai Seaport Customs, allegedly took several crores of rupees as a bribe from multiple companies to help them evade customs duty due under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme.

Chorasiya was arrested in May last year under Sections 135 and 136 of the Customs Act, and his house was searched. He was released on bail a month later and is currently under suspension for a year, sources said. According to court filings, Chorasiya forged records and created a document trail to make it seem like the companies had legally paid the duties, the investigation said.

In a bid to cover his tracks, he created an alter ego, Ravindra Sethu, for his interactions with these companies, which only briefly delayed his identification as the alleged mastermind. As per conservative estimates, the bribe collected by Sethu would at least be 100 crore, a source said. The case was recently handed over to the CBI.