The ED has issued an interim order (PAO) to attach the immovable property worth Rs 48.61 lakh of Navneet Kumar, the then Deputy Customs Commissioner of Kolkata’s Air Cargo Complex (who is currently under suspension), under the provisions of PMLA 2002. This case pertains to smuggling of goods through the Air Cargo Complex of Kolkata.
ED had initiated investigation on the basis of FIR registered by CBI and ACB, Kolkata against Navneet Kumar and others under various sections of IPC, 1860 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The case pertains to organized smuggling and illegal clearance of mis-declared goods at the Air Cargo Complex in Kolkata, causing huge loss to the government revenue.
What other revelations were made during the investigation?
During investigation, another FIR was registered against Navneet Kumar under various sections of IPC, 1860. This FIR was related to Navneet Kumar’s falsification of fake educational certificate and birth certificate and manipulation of degree certificate to appear in the civil services examination of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The investigation revealed that in a surprise check conducted by the DRI at the Air Cargo Complex (ACC) of Kolkata Airport on June 5, 2017, the DRI seized 19 consignments in which huge amounts of mis-declarations were found. After assessment conducted by DRI, the value of seized imported goods was found to be approximately Rs 194 crore, while the declared value was approximately Rs 44.54 lakh. After inspection, it was also found that the goods mentioned in 19 Bills of Entry (BOE) were different from the goods actually present in the seized consignments.
Smugglers used to share innovative information through middlemen
The modus operandi adopted was that smugglers would share the details of sensitive consignments with Navneet Kumar in advance through intermediaries, following which Navneet Kumar would issue instructions to his subordinate officers to selectively check only the packages matching the declared description, while deliberately avoiding checking the consignments containing mis-declared or prohibited items.
Further, high value consignments were fraudulently cleared through ‘Manual Out of Charge’ orders, without the approval of the competent authority and despite there being no fault in the EDI system, in violation of the prescribed EDI/CBEC guidelines, thereby avoiding detection.
The investigation also revealed a well-organized network of customs broker entities, G-Card holders and private individuals who coordinated documentation, verification and clearance processes in exchange for illegal kickbacks. Navneet Kumar, the then Deputy Commissioner of Customs, in collusion with his subordinates, knowingly and with a premeditated conspiracy, misused his official position by indulging in illegal, fraudulent and corrupt activities related to smuggling. Further investigation is ongoing.
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