The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials has been conducting searches in various locations in Gujarat in a bribery case involving officials of the customs department. Searches are being conducted at various locations in Ahmedabad, Mundra, Surat, Nadiad, Gandhidham, Vadodara, Junagadh, Mumbai and Delhi resulting in recovery of incriminating documents.
According a release from CBI, a bribe network has been detected wherein the authorised signatory of Ahmedabad-based Freight Forwarder Company (FFC) was obliging many customs officials and paying regular bribes to various customs officials in connection with the export-import activities in Custom Department in Gujarat. "It has been gathered that a deep rooted corruption network exists where in some Custom House Agents/private persons pay regular bribe to many officials on clearance basis, as per the rates already negotiated by them," the release stated.
As per the investigation, the authorised signatory of FFC cleared consignments of various goods during the period from July, 2010 to October, 2010 in connivance with the accused customs officials and paid various amounts of bribes to them at various places including Ahmedabad, Mundra and Surat.
During one of the searches, one of the inspectors of customs at Surat also tried to burn the huge cash available with him before allowing the CBI team to enter his residence for conducting search, the release further stated.
In this regard, three separate cases have been registered in Anti Corruption Branch (ACB), Gandhinagar against seven officials in the rank of superintendent and inspectors of customs at various places in Gujarat as well as authorised signatory and two other employees of FFC. Meanwhile, investigation is in progress.