A senior Customs officer in Chennai, M Sathishkumar, has been remanded until February 25 in connection with a Rs2 crore green peas import scam. Sathishkumar, a 2010 batch IRS officer, was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday for his alleged role in orchestrating the illegal scheme.
The scam involved the misdeclaration of green peas imported from Canada via Dubai’s Jebel Ali port. Sathishkumar’s residence in the TAISHA colony, a residential area housing various high-ranking officers, was raided by DRI officials on Sunday.
Sathishkumar was transferred from his position at the export commissionerate, and he is expected to face suspension from Chennai Customs. He is the fourth Customs officer arrested in the case, following superintendent Shiv Kashyap, appraising officer Nitish Kumar, and examiner Manish.
Additionally, a Customs House Agent (CHA) and a Delhi-based importer have been arrested under Section 135 of the Customs Act for their role in misdeclaring goods.
The investigation revealed that the green peas were falsely declared as yellow legumes. According to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) regulations, green peas can only be imported at the Kolkata seaport with a minimum import price (MIP) of Rs200 per kilogram. The DRI seized five containers, containing around 100 tonnes of green peas worth Rs2 crore.
