Digital extortion at Mumbai airport: Customs officer gets anticipatory bail

Mumbai: In the case of digital extortion of ₹25,000 from a London-Mumbai air passenger, the Customs official, Prince Bansal, was granted anticipatory bail by a special CBI court. As per the conditions imposed, Bansal shall not directly or indirectly induce any witness or threaten them, which may restrain them to give any statement before the prosecution agency.

The CBI and the Anti-Corruption Bureau received a complaint on Feb 22 against Customs officials that a flyer was intercepted and was asked to pay ₹50,000 as Customs duty as his check-in luggage had new clothes, shoes and bags. The passenger had flown in from London on Feb 3.

When the complainant declined to pay, the purported duty was brought down to ₹35,000 and then ₹25,000, with ₹5,0005 to be paid at the Customs duty counter. As the flyer had a connecting flight to Raipur, he agreed to make the payment.

After recent reports, complainant realised that he, too, had been extorted

After going through recent news reports regarding Customs officers taking bribes through Gpay, the complainant realised that he, too, had been extorted and hence filed a complaint with the CBI.

The complaint was verified and Air Customs Officer (ACO) Bansal was identified as the one who demanded the bribe. On the alleged direction of Bansal, Havaldar Santosh Wadkar was seen guiding the complainant to pay Customs duty. The flyer had transferred ₹25,000­ to the account of one Sanjay Joshi on his phone number. A case was then registered against Bansal, Wadkar and unknown others.

Bansal’s advocate Aditya Talpade said that a notice was served to Bansal and he was asked to remain present on March 6. However, there was an apprehension that he may be arrested so he applied for anticipatory bail before a special CBI court. “Court granted the bail stating that he has cooperated with the probe and the CBI mentioned that custodial interrogation isn’t necessary if he cooperates,” said Talpade.