Chennai: The international car smuggler Alex C. Joseph is back in action in Chennai. Arrested by CBI earlier this year and currently out on bail, Alex and two of his men in khaki uniform forcibly took away a Volvo car, which had been parked in the premises of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation’s hotel on Greams Road, on Saturday morning.The car had been left in the hotel parking lot by a man from Pune.
After nearly 30 hours of high drama, the car was brought to the Thousand Lights police station on Sunday afternoon after the police started a probe based on the complaint lodged by KTDC. Sources said that CBI had also shown interest in the incident because one of the accused in the car case had created a ruckus in a hotel in the city. Atul from Pune had parked the Volvo on Nov. 12 when he was staying in the hotel. But he had left the car behind when he checked out a few days later.
On Saturday morning, Alex Joseph reached the hotel saying he was driving the car out and that he had come with the keys. He also claimed he was a friend of Atul.The KTDC staff, who were aware of Alex Joseph’s background, decided not to hand over the car to him. The employees knew him because he used to visit the restaurant there and had also read news about him. When the staff refused to allow him to take the car he allegedly threatened them and took the car away. He even threatened to kill the guard if he was not allowed to drive out.
Alex Joseph was in city on Friday to sign at the CBI office to fulfil a condition of his bail. Police said that the Volvo car, registered in the name of a private firm, was being used by Alex in Chennai. “He, through his friend Atul, used the hotel premises to park the car. Alex has two other luxury cars parked in a star hotel where he stays when he comes to Chennai to sign at the CBI office,” the police said.
Alex Joseph was arrested by CBI in February this year from Delhi for illegally importing luxury foreign cars evading customs duty under transfer of residence scheme and supplying them to VIPs, including the family of DMK leader MK Stalin and also companies run by BCCI chief N. Srinivasan, among others. During 11-month long investigation, CBI had seized 33 luxury cars like Rolls Royce, Range Rover, Land Cruiser Prado, BMW, Mercedes Benz and Hummer and found that Alex had evaded over Rs.48 crore duty. In this connection, CBI had conducted raids in 18 places including the residence of Stalin in March, 2013.
