Sales director arrested for evading ₹12 crore customs duty

The Directorate of Rev enue Intelligence (DRI) arrested a British national of Indian ori gin for allegedly misdeclaring the details of the product he had been importing.

The accused, Shailesh Kanti lal Meisuria, 42, is a sales director at a private firm.

“A dissolved gas analyser which attracts 10% duty in India was misdeclared as a gas chromatograph, which does not attract duty,” said a source privy to the case.

Sources revealed that the firm’s work involves dissolved gas analysis (DGA) monitors used in power transformers.

“The company catalogue describes the equipment as a gas analyser. We searched the firm’s Ahmedabad office on February 27,” said the source.

DRI officials said they had copies of Meisuria’s emails which can be used as evidence in the case.

“He wrote to the firm’s ship ping department and asked them to manipulate the descrip tion of this particular item so it would be classified as some thing else,” said the source.

He added that Meisuria had evaded duties amounting to Rs12 crore.

“There are different reputed firms who buy form Meisuria’s company. He told them not to pay tax too,” said the source.

Meisuria was produced before an additional chief met ropolitan magistrate who remanded him in judicial cus tody till April 5.

He will be produced in court on Monday.

“The case has revealed the involvement of more white-col lar workers who resort to mis declaration,” said the source.