Bengaluru: Five superintendents of Customs posted at the Import Section of Customs at the Kempegowda International Airport and three touts were arrested by officials of the Anti-Corruption Branch of the CBI on charges of collecting bribes. Narasimha Swamy S.G., N. Sundaram, V. Visweswara Bhat, V. Prem Kumar and K.R. Somasunder, all superintendents of Customs, are the arrested.
“In a late evening drive conducted on Wednesday at Import Section of Customs, Air India Sats, Air Cargo Complex and Menzies Aviation Bobba Air Cargo Terminal of the KIA, CBI officials caught five superintendents of Customs along with three touts in the act of collecting of bribes from Clearing House Agents for clearing files for release of imported goods at the import section terminals.” “The CBI search team seized Rs 75,000 in cash from the touts, who were collecting money on behalf of Customs officials,” an official release stated.
After detaining all the Customs officials and touts, the CBI conducted further searches on the premises resulting in seizure of several records which indicate that the collection of bribes from the Clearing House Agents has been going on from a long time. Two separate cases have been registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act against the arrested officials and others. On the basis of the searches, the accused people were arrested on Friday. They will be produced before the Special CBI Court here on Saturday, the release said.
“The CBI has also conducted searches at the residential premises of the accused Customs officials for further clues with regards to assets made out of the illicit money that was being collected over a period of time. Investigation of the cases is continuing,” it said.
