Searches in Kerala to detect customs duty evasion

Officials of the Directorate and Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Customs have conducted joint searches in several parts of Kerala, including Kochi, Kozhikode and Thrissur, as part of a nation-wide operation.

The searches were carried out in the state in the last two days to detect customs duty evasion estimated to be running in several crores in the import of base oil by wrongly claiming it as rubber processing oil, customs sources said.

DRI officials from Mumbai conducted the searches here and elsewhere in the country.

Thirtyfive officials of the customs here coordinated the operation, the sources said.

However, they declined to divulge further details like where the raids were carried out.

A huge consignment of base oil, the basic ingridient for all varieties like automobile oil, lubricant oil were imported through major ports in the country reportedly by wrongly claiming it as rubber processing oil, thus resulting in duty evasion worth several crores, the sources said.