Scheduled carriers not out of Customs dept’s duty evasion probe

New Delhi: After cracking the whip on corporate India for alleged duty evasion in import of aircraft and choppers, the customs department today said it would not spare even scheduled carriers from the purview of the probe.
The nearly two-month long investigation has so far seen the department seizing and releasing 13 aircraft, including those of the Ambanis and Tata for violating Non Scheduled Operators Permit (NSOP).
“We don't rule out any possibility... we don't intend to point a finger at anyone,” Customs department, Special Investigation Team, commissioner Mr Anoop Swarup said when asked if airline bosses like Vijya Mallya of Kingfisher Airlines, who use their aircraft to ferry friends are also violating the norms.
He said the department has taken the above instance into consideration and a probe was on. When asked if this practice violates the licence granted to the scheduled operators, another senior official said, “Yes, it is.” Meanwhile, Swarup said the scam of importing airplanes under NSOP permit and using them for private purposes ran into “several hundred crores (of rupees).”
21/08/08 Press Trust of India/The Statesman

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2008