Ahmedabad: The Customs Department and other central agencies on Friday seized a stock of munitions belonging to the Pakistan Army from the private Mundra Port in Gujarat’s Kutch district in what they suspect to be an import duty evasion racket.
Official sources said the Customs Department had received a tip-off that 10 containers with nearly 200 tonnes of junk imported from Africa might be carrying some suspicious material. They suspect this to be a case of duty evasion since imports from Pakistan directly to India attracts 200% duty. According to officials, routing the material through Africa to India might help save on the heavy duties.
According to preliminary information, the 10 containers were imported from Africa under the Scrap Shipping Bill at the Hindu Terminal at Mundra Port by Sai Bandhan Infinium Pvt Ltd, Ahmedabad. Based on the inputs, the Customs Department, along with the central agencies at Mundra Port, had been conducting investigations for nearly a week.
The imported junk containers were intercepted at the port on Friday. Officials said the agencies recovered munitions used by the Pakistan Army on breaking open the containers.
The Customs Department has not ruled out possibility of some major revelations during further investigations in the case.
