CBI raids unearth under-declaration of goods

Kochi, June 21 (UNI) In surprise raids on a passenger-cum-cargo ship, 'Bharat Seema', and the offices of the Deputy Director, Shipping, Lakshadweep, here, the CBI has unearthed an alleged massive under-declaration of goods being transported to the Lakshadweep Islands.

Superintendent of Police, CBI, T Vikram told UNI that the surprise checks, which lasted nearly 10 hours and ended close to midnight yesterday, were carried out after a tip-off that the traders ferrying cargo to Lakshadweep on ships being operated by the Union Territory administration, were regularly under-declaring the quantum of goods, thus causing pecuniary loss to the government by way of lesser transportation charges.

Mr Vikram said as a random check, the goods of only two of the over 80 traders transporting their goods by 'Bharat Seema' were checked by the CBI team at the Mattancherry wharf yesterday.

''We found that actually twice the amount of the declared goods were being transported. This means that the traders are paying only half the transportation charges,'' he added.

Simultaneous raids were also carried out on the offices of the Deputy Director, Shipping, Union Territory of Lakshadweep, and those of one of the main loaders on the wharf.

Five desktop printers and a carton of television set-top boxes, which were not declared at all, were seized by the investing team.

The Lakshadweep administration had also been alerted to check the goods of the other traders on the ship, Mr Vikram said.

While not quantifying the loss being suffered by the government on account of this under-declaration, Mr Vikram said ''definitely, the government is losing a lot of money on this.'' UNI ARC AK DB1810