3 Delhi traders in custody for evading customs duty

Three Delhi businessmen were taken into custody by the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) on Saturday night for allegedly committing a multi-crore-rupee customs fraud.

Sources said scam kingpin Sanjay Gupta and aides Uma Shankar and Devinder Gupta had opened 25-30 bogus firms and were importing grossly-undervalued electronic goods from China and Hong Kong using an intricate network of clearing agents in Mumbai.

The external affairs ministry is being requested to pursue the matter with the two countries.

Investigation revealed that the electronic goods were being dismantled and brought into the country as spare parts to evade customs duty. As per initial estimates, the scamsters evaded duty in excess of Rs10 crore.

In raids at the houses of the accused, DRI sleuths recovered several incriminating documents. Over Rs2 crore was recovered from the Punjabi Bagh residence of Sanjay Gupta.

Uma Shankar and Devinder Gupta are alleged to be managing the affairs of the bogus companies. “DRI has also found evidence against some clearance agents who were helping these illegal imports at the Mumbai port,” a source said.