Delhi Customs recovers Rs 3 cr duty from 3 importers misusing govt exemptions

Further, an enquiry was still going on and approximately Rs 300 lakh duty amount appears to be involved in the matter, the official said. In yet another case, the importer was procuring the goods on nil rate of duty after taking benefit of an exemption notification.

The Delhi Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate has recovered Rs 3 crore customs duty from three importers who had misutilised various exemptions, an official said on Thursday. The exemption notifications, which the three importers took an undue advantage of, were issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, according to an official of the Delhi Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate.

Officials of the Export Promotion Circle (EPC), Faridabad, were tipped off about the possible misutilisation of the exceptions. They identified the importers and sought further details from them. In one case, the manufacturer-importer was importing battery chargers and taking the benefit of exemption. However, the benefit was available only to the manufacturer of electric vehicles while the importer was not a manufacturer of electric vehicles, the official said.

Following this, Rs 33.67 lakh was recovered from the importer towards the payment of customs duty. In another case, a 100 per cent Export Oriented Units (EOU) manufacturer-importer was procuring the goods at zero rate of duty after taking benefit of an exemption notification while the imported goods were being cleared 'as such' from the factory premises with short payment of customs duty, the official said.

On being pointed out by the Customs officers, the importer deposited Rs 31.54 lakh towards the payment of customs Duty. Further, an enquiry was still going on and approximately Rs 300 lakh duty amount appears to be involved in the matter, the official said.

In yet another case, the importer was procuring the goods on nil rate of duty after taking benefit of an exemption notification. According to the importer, the goods procured had been lost due to fire at the factory and as such an application was made for remission of duty. The case was scrutinized and it was noticed that the goods in question were not entitled for remission of duty. The importer then deposited Rs 234.67 lakh towards the payment of Customs Duty.

In all the three cases, the total duty recovered amounts to Rs 299.88 lakh, the official added..