The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a major watch racket after raiding two shops in Manish Market area on Tuesday. The DRI sleuths had allegedly seized 850 first copies of high-end watches and have sent them for valuation. However, they assume that the total cost of these watches could run in crores.
According to the DRI sources, acting on specific information about illegally smuggled watches being stored for sale, the DRI officials conducted a raid at Musafir Khana, Manish Market on Tuesday afternoon. The agency raided two shops reportedly owned by one Aadil Ashfaq Padri and had seized 850 watches.
“The shop owner had no relevant import documents for the watches. While some of the watches seemed to be genuine, some look like first copies of Rolex, Omega, Seiko, Armani and Rado. As per our information, the goods were misdeclared and were brought from Nhava Sheva port to Manish Market,” said a DRI source.
Watches were seized under Section 111 (Confiscation of improperly imported goods, etc), Section 123 (Burden of proof in certain cases) and Section 125 (option to pay fine in lieu of confiscation) of Indian Customs Act.
“As per Section 123, the burden of proof lies on the person to prove that the goods such as watches, gold, cigarette and silver, found from him were not illegally smuggled. We have not arrested Padri in the said case as of now,” the official said.
In another raid conducted at Crawford Market on Tuesday, the DRI sleuths arrested one Shabanali Razahussain Virani and have allegedly seized illegally imported cigarettes worth Rs 21 lakh.
Speaking about the modus-operandi to smuggle cigarettes, the official said, “Cigarettes are illegally imported from Dubai to Delhi. There are four gangs operating in Delhi who through couriers, send the consignments to Mumbai, Gujarat, Goa and Pune via rail route. We will question Virani to know who are the other people associated with him in this racket and would try to apprehend them too. Also, we are trying to track down the person in Dubai who exports the cigarette consignment to this group.”
RECOVERED BRANDS
WATCHES - Rolex, Omega, Seiko, Armani and Rado
CIGARETTES - Gudang Garam, Rothmans & Marlboro
PREVIOUS RAID AT MANISH MARKET
In June 2013, a team from Crime Branch Control of Mumbai Police had raided several shops at Manish Market for allegedly selling fake branded goods. An estimated Rs 1crore worth of goods was seized.
CASE HISTORY
- DRI sleuths raided two shops at Manish Market area reportedly owned by one Aadil Ashfaq Padri and had seized 850 watches
- Watches were seized under Section 111 (Confiscation of improperly imported goods, etc), Section 123 (Burden of proof in certain cases) and Section 125 (option to pay fine in lieu of confiscation) of Indian Customs Act
- At Crawford Market, DRI arrested Shabanali Razahussain Virani seizing illegally imported cigarettes
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