Chennai Customs denies bribery allegations of logistics firm

Chennai: The Chennai Customs has denied an allegation of bribery from a Chennai-based logistics company and claimed that the accusation of harassment and non-cooperation were demonstrably false.

The firm’s selective narrative was a deliberate tactic to pressure officials into releasing cargo without following due process, it said, responding to the accusation on its official handle.

"The importer's social media posts reveal a calculated pattern: allegations of corruption when facing legitimate scrutiny, followed by deletion of his thread when facts of violation by importer are placed on record," the Chennai Customs said.

This selective narrative was a deliberate tactic to pressure officials into releasing cargo without following due process. "We categorically state that every action taken was legally mandated, procedurally proper, and based on documented violations discovered during examination," the statement said.

On Tuesday, the logistics company Wintrack Inc announced in a post on the social media platform ‘X’ that it will cease import/export activities in India from October 1, over an alleged relentless harassment.

"For the past 45 days, Chennai Customs officials have relentlessly harassed us. After exposing their bribery practices twice this year, they retaliated, effectively crippling our operations and destroying our business in India," the post said and thanked those who supported the company during the difficult times.

Responding to allegations, the Chennai Customs said, "this importer has an established pattern of making unsubstantiated allegations of corruption and bribery on this platform, only to delete such posts once factual rebuttals are provided by this department." During examination, it was found that eight boxes containing USB charging cables were undeclared in the Bill of Entry, commercial invoice, and packing list and this was a clear violation of Section 111 of the Customs Act, 1962. The imported goods contain built-in rechargeable batteries, making EPR registration from the Central Pollution Control Board mandatory under Rule 13 of Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022.

Despite repeated queries on August 29, during personal hearing on September 8, and again on September 29, no EPR certificate was provided. Instead, the importer submitted wrong documentation (E-waste undertaking) and made legally untenable claims of MSME exemption, finished product exemption, and low battery capacity exemption none of which existed under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022, it stated in the lengthy post.

"The allegations of harassment and non-cooperation are demonstrably false. The importer was granted personal hearing on September 8 in full accordance with principles of natural justice," it said.

Bonding permission under Section 49 of Customs Act was granted on September 11 specifically to help the importer avoid demurrage charges during adjudication. Postponement was accommodated on September 19 when the importer requested additional time.

"At no stage was any payment or bribe demanded - all queries pertained strictly to mandatory statutory compliance under Battery Waste Management Rules 2022, BIS Act 2016, Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011, and Customs Act 1962," it further explained.

Further, during pendency of adjudication proceedings on this Bill of Entry, the same importer filed identical goods through a related entity (wife's company) on September 12 with the same compliance gaps, demonstrating systematic evasion rather than inadvertent error.

"During an official meeting on September 30, the importer attempted to intimidate senior officers through threats of media exposure and self-harm when informed that due process must be followed. This conduct has been formally documented and reported," the post read.

Chennai Customs will not be deterred by false allegations from performing its statutory duties, it said. "We remain committed to lawful, transparent, and professional conduct while enforcing regulations designed to protect public health, consumer safety, and environmental standards," it said.