Two Surat-based businessmen, Sachin and Pratik Kundaliya, have been arrested for evading Customs duties by undervaluing walnut imports.

MUMBAI: The Directorate Revenue of Intelligence (DRI) have arrested two Surat based businessmen for a large scale Customs duty evasion scam.
The two brothers identified as Sachin Kundaliya (28) and his brother Pratik Kundaliya (32) are accused of importing walnuts by undervaluing their imports by routing invoices through UAE based firm and evaded a custom duty to the tune of Rs 5.6 crore.
On the specific information the agency carried a search of Gayatri Exim having its office in Surat in Gujarat which was found to be engaged in import of inshell walnuts falling under CTH 08023100 from Chile by resorting to gross misdeclaration of its value.
Officials said that they had information that the importer imported by routing the invoices through UAE based firms instead of furnishing the actual invoices issued by the Chile based supplier.
The officials also stumble upon various evidences were uncovered in form of emails and original invoices of Chile mentioning the quantity, description and same container number corroborating the details of Bills of Entry. “Kundaliya brothers who are the proprietors of Gayatri Exim were directly involved in undervaluation of inshells walnuts being imported and were aware that they were evading Custom duties and in order to supress the original value they routed the invoices through UAE and evaded Custom duties tune to Rs 5.67 crore.” said an official.
The accused have even used the services of hawala channels to pay the differential amounts. Further investigation of past import documents it also transpired that accused have in past imported 2,900 MTs of inshell walnuts and evaded Custom duty of Rs 20 crores. Advocate Sujay Kantawala argued that this clients were innocent and were not aware of it.