Hyderabad: Four officials of the Inland Container Depot (ICD), Sanathnagar, were transferred following an expose, counterfeit goods being routed from China via Dubai to Hyderabad. Orders issued by the principal commissioner of customs on March 29 confirmed the reshuffling, which includes an assistant commissioner, two superintendents, and an Inspector. New postings were made in their place.
The administrative action comes in the wake of a news report published in these columns on March 29, highlighting regulatory lapses at the depot. The report detailed how counterfeit goods, particularly misdeclared cosmetics, were being cleared through the ICD, Sanathnagar, despite not having proper clearances from the drug regulatory authorities.
DRI Uncovers Misdeclared Cosmetics Shipment
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had earlier intercepted a container on Dec 4, 2024, based on specific intelligence. The container, imported by a Hyderabad-based firm, was routed via the Nhava Sheva seaport in Mumbai and transported to the ICD, Sanathnagar, for customs clearance. A 100% inspection revealed that the shipment was misdeclared, and the importer lacked the necessary permissions from the assistant drug controller (ADC), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
The container was later seized under a panchanama. Officials found that the nature of the goods did not match the declaration, triggering questions over how the shipment passed routine checks at the inland depot.
The investigation also established that the Dubai-based exporter of the seized shipment was owned by the same individual who controls the importing firm in Hyderabad.
The administrative action comes in the wake of a news report published in these columns on March 29, highlighting regulatory lapses at the depot. The report detailed how counterfeit goods, particularly misdeclared cosmetics, were being cleared through the ICD, Sanathnagar, despite not having proper clearances from the drug regulatory authorities.
DRI Uncovers Misdeclared Cosmetics Shipment
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had earlier intercepted a container on Dec 4, 2024, based on specific intelligence. The container, imported by a Hyderabad-based firm, was routed via the Nhava Sheva seaport in Mumbai and transported to the ICD, Sanathnagar, for customs clearance. A 100% inspection revealed that the shipment was misdeclared, and the importer lacked the necessary permissions from the assistant drug controller (ADC), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
The container was later seized under a panchanama. Officials found that the nature of the goods did not match the declaration, triggering questions over how the shipment passed routine checks at the inland depot.
The investigation also established that the Dubai-based exporter of the seized shipment was owned by the same individual who controls the importing firm in Hyderabad.
