Chennai, April 21: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a diesel smuggling racket in the guise of mineral spirit by some operators based in Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and here, an official statement said on Saturday.
Diesel is a restricted commodity for import as per the Foreign Trade Policy and can be imported only by oil marketing companies.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Finance Ministry said the diesel was being brought from Dubai in huge quantitites regularly through containers at Chennai Port for further illegal sale in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Searches were carried out by DRI officials in Hyderabad and Chennai with the support of Andhra Pradesh state intelligence at various places in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu from April 17 onwards and it was found that 14 containers imported at Chennai Port in the name of SAF Petroleum and Aditya Marine landed at Sanco Container Freight Station here and Gateway Container Freight Station were found carrying 263.78 ton (around three lakh litres) of diesel but declared as mineral spirit.
The operators based in Kakinada hatched a plan to smuggle diesel as mineral spirit, it said, adding that they not only smuggled in the diesel as mineral spirit but also under declared its value by around 60 per cent and evaded customs duty.
The operators had offices in Kakinada, a storage yard at Maraimalai Nagar here and an office front at Guindy here to facilitate said smuggling and distribution.
A relative of one of the operators from Kakinada was looking after the logistics, moving the diesel into the grey markets in Chennai, Kakinada, Ongole and parts of Telangana, the statement said.
Dummy companies were opened in Dubai to purchase diesel and import the same to Chennai by creating false documents and invoices.
The price difference was being adjusted by payments through hawala channels.
It is found that in the past these operators have smuggled around 5,366 ton (around 63 lakh litres) of diesel valued at around Rs.17.7 crore, which comes to around 285 containers.
Four persons, including the mastermind and one hawala operator have been arrested under Customs Act 1962, the statement said.
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Om Birla attends swearing-in of new B'desh PM, says India stands ready to support BNP govt
New Delhi (PTI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday attended the swearing-in ceremony of new Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, and said India stands ready to support Bangladesh's endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation.
Separately, the speaker called on the new Bangladesh prime minister and conveyed the wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also handed over an invitation from Prime Minister Modi to Rahman to visit India, officials said here.
“Glad to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka today. India stands ready to support Bangladesh’s endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation,” Birla posted on X.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, said in a post on X, “Prime Minister Tarique Rahman conveys his greetings to India and PM Narendra Modi to the visiting India Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at a courtesy meet following the swearing-in of the new government.
“Speaker Birla conveyed wishes and an invitation to India. Both leaders expressed optimism to work together for the well-being of the people of Bangladesh and India, pursuing a people-centric menu of cooperation.”
Birla also met Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and other leaders on the sidelines of the event.
Led by Rahman, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) swept to power with a two-thirds majority with 49.97 per cent votes and 209 seats in the polls held on February 12, results for which were declared on February 13.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, which was opposed to Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971, registered its best-ever performance with 31.76 per cent votes and 68 seats.
The National Citizen Party (NCP) secured the third-highest number of seats, six, and 3.05 per cent votes.
Bangladesh had invited Narendra Modi to the ceremony, but the prime minister could not attend the event as he was scheduled to hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on Tuesday.
On reaching Dhaka, Birla said the swearing-in of Rahman was an important moment that would strengthen people-to-people relations and shared democratic values between the two neighbours.
“Honoured to be in Dhaka representing India at the swearing-in ceremony of the new government led by Tarique Rahman as the prime minister. It's an important moment that will strengthen people-to-people ties and shared democratic values between our two nations,” Birla said.
Birla was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other officials.
