Flight load of ‘kuruvis’ trigger mass transfer of customs officers at Chennai Airport

CHENNAI: Four days after a flight load of ‘kuruvis’ landed at Chennai Airport with Rs.14 crore worth of smuggled goods from Muscat, the Commissioner of Customs transferred 20 officersfrom the Chennai Airport on Tuesday.

On Thursday customs officials – based on inputs and assistance of sleuths from the directorate of revenue intelligence – detained as many 186 passengers who arrived from Muscat to Chennai on suspicion of carrying smuggled goods.

After inquiry, the officers found 113 of them were Kuruvis and seized 13 kgs of gold, 120 iPhones, around 100 other electronic gadgets, cigarettes, and safron powders, and smuggled goods were valued at around Rs. 14 crores.

The customs high officials found that a few officers who are on duty in the Chennai Airport might be linked to the kuruvis in the case.

Following that on Tuesday the Commissioner of Customs in Chennai ordered the transfer of the 20 officers, who were on duty on Thursday when the particular flight landed in Chennai from Muscat.

All the 20 officers were transferred to the Customs House in Chennai and they were asked to be relieved from duty in Chennai airport with immediate effect from Tuesday afternoon.

Among the 20 officers, four Customs superintendents were also transferred from Chennai airport.