Ahmedabad: The Surat unit of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) unearthed a multi-crore racket of high speed diesel smuggling at Internal Container Depot (ICD) in Ankelshwar on Wednesday. The DRI sleuths seized 833 metric tonnes (MT) or 8.62 lakh litres of high speed diesel. The diesel was imported illegally by mis-declaring it as fuel oil from UAE.
The container belonged to a Delhi-based firm.
The officials are investigating all the past imports of this Delhi-based firm. In the recent years, this is the first time that a case of diesel smuggling of this size has been detected.
"The container had arrived few days back and on the basis of a tip-off it was detained for checking. Samples were collected to check if it is fuel oil. The results of testing revealed it to be diesel, following which the container was seized," said a source.
According to sources, fuel oil or furnace oil is a freely importable item whereas high speed diesel can be imported only by State Trading Enterprises (STE) which are basically public sector oil and petroleum firms.
"The diesel attracts duty of Rs 18- Rs 19 per litre. The crude prices have fallen drastically in last one year and by importing illegally in this manner, the firm was making huge returns by evading duty. Also, this firm was selling it in the local market at lesser rate than the regular price," added source. Items such as fuel oil and diesel are usually imported in tankers but this particular consignment was in the form of container cargo. Further investigation is on in the case.
In 2011, a similar kind of case was detected by Kandla Customs wherein the importer was bringing diesel illegally by declaring it as a waste oil.
