EOU proprietor caught for Rs 2.5 cr duty evasion

EOU proprietor caught for Rs 2.5 cr duty evasion
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

MUMBAI, JAN 23: Customs officials have arrested one Arvind Ramji Thakker, who claimed to be the propreitor of an export oriented unit (EOU) in Gujarat, for duty evasion of Rs 2.5 crore. The EOU has imported fabric worth Rs 3.5 crore duty free over the last ten months for the purported manufacture of garments. The material was allegedly diverted to the local market.

The special investigation and intelligence branch (SIIB) of Customs has seized three containers with goods worth Rs 60 lakh imported by Thakker recently. This is the seventh arrest made by SIIB in connection with EOU frauds.

Thakker who is a resident of Ghatkopar in Mumbai, claimed to be manufacturing garments in his unit, Deep Enterprises, in Aslali, Ahmedabad, which was in fact, found to be closed. While Thakker was arrested on Jan 12 and continues to be in judicial custody, Customs are looking for the individuals he is working for. These are some Mumbai businessmen who have connections in Dubai.

The chief commissioner of customs had issued detailed instructions in December to officers down to the level of appraisers, to ensure stringent checks in the clearance of imports by EOUs. The instructions followed the discussion on the increasing number of EOU frauds detected in the last few months at the chief commissioners' conference in Delhi.