The goods are worth several hundred crores and the tax evaded would run into several crores, investigators said.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) detained over 150 containers that arrived from Sweden last week. Though declared as “heavy melting scrap”, on a tip-off the DRI team opened them to find finished products made of steel, alloys and aluminium in what looks like a case of massive tax evasion. The goods are worth several hundred crores and the tax evaded would run into several crores, investigators said.
The consignment came from one Ram Krishan Enterprises in Sweden and was bound for two Indian companies — MR Juneja and Company based in Delhi and Mother International based in Ghaziabad. “We had prior information that the consignment does not contain heavy melting scrap. Accordingly, we carried out a raid at Dadri ICD and when we opened the consignment we discovered the information was bang on target. The consignment contained finished products of steel, aluminium alloys, even chromium,” a senior DRI officer said.
It might take weeks to get details of the quality of metals and alloys used in making these products, he said. “Samples will be sent to authorised laboratories. Some have already been sent,” a senior DRI officer said.
Several containers have been dispatched to the DRI office in Punjab, officials said. India would formally get in touch with Swedish authorities for further investigation, sources said.
According to preliminary information, it is a case of goods not being declared. Raids are being carried out at the offices of two Delhi- and Ghaziabad-based firms who were beneficiaries of the racket. “We have raided several places in Delhi and Ghaziabad and several incriminating documents have been seized,” a senior DRI official said.
“We are still assessing the value of this catch. It is huge and we haven’t even opened all the containers,” a senior DRI official said. Such is the scale of the racket that senior DRI officers are unable to put a figure on the value of this catch. “It has been about a week since we began examining the containers, but I think it might take us at least a month more to assess the exact value,” said a senior DRI official.
Around 20 containers have already been dispatched to DRI’s Ludhiana unit in an effort to divide workload. DRI’s Lucknow unit, which has been facing problems because of the sheer distance between its office and the spot, ICD depot in Dadri, has also sought the help of DRI headquarters in New Delhi.
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