Have you heard the one about the two Indian Customs Department drivers who were arrested earlier this month for allegedly smuggling Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch whisky from ITDC-run duty free shops at Mumbai International

airport?

Well sadly this was no joke after State Excise Department officials felt seemingly obliged to move in on a vehicle carrying smuggled whisky last week after officials were tipped off about the scam.

But much more interesting than this ?isolated? event itself is the level of surprise expressed by some sectors of the local consumer media that such an event could ever take place in India in the first place…

The fact that this latest event relates to just 60 bottles of Scotch is also irrelevant, since much more serious is the strong suspicion that this is all part of a much bigger organized racket. These bottles were not only officially included in forged customs? records as sales made to bonafide departed passengers, but also listed alongside each passenger?s individual passport details. Such a seemingly ready and easy ability to change official records suggests several individuals are involved.

More surprising – but very refreshing – is the fact that this has come to light at all. The news is that the Excise Department is now apparently unhappy about all of this, having made four seizures of Scotch whisky from the local market in recent times where the source of the goods has been proven to be ITDC?s duty free shops. One such haul was even found to be safely stored at the home of a local police officer recently.

As one would expect, the authorities have now been catapulted into action. After studying all of the evidence and adding up the four separate incidents, they have now concluded that this might just be the work of an organized gang?They say that an investigation has now been launched into the activities of one particular ITDC official, along with his dealings with another individual in a different area.

Of the greatest concern, say the authorities, is whether these latest seizures are just one part of a much bigger racket which has operated for a long time and maybe even years at Mumbai. It has to be said that local observers have told TREND/The Business about similar practices operating sporadically at both Delhi and Mumbai airports over the last 20 years? along with others.
Needless to say, the joint venture company of ITDC/Aldeasa which has just won the new Mumbai duty free contract (guaranteeing $100m over three years) will doubtless want this mess cleared up before they begin their new contract term.

COMMENT: Frankly, this ?latest discovery? by Indian authorities is an old scam which has been run and exposed in India (and also China) several times in the past, where ?naughty? low-paid, greedy (or both) store individuals have retrospectively attributed sales to foreign visitors who have long since left the country and who actually bought nothing while they were present.

The goods are then placed against the register of departed passengers? names to satisfy customs and avoid any question of duties being payable. The goods are then physically removed from the shops or storerooms and then sold into the local domestic market for huge profits. Of course, the whole thing also runs that much more swimmingly if Customs officers give a helping hand, as was clearly the case in this instance-Ed]