13 May,2014 07:22 AM IST | | Neha LM Tripathi
An employee of Aramex caught with 55 kg of silver jewellery from the courier agency’s office has been taken into custody, along with consignment agent and a trader, for smuggling
After an employee of Aramex was intercepted with two packages of silver jewellery worth Rs 22 lakh on April 24, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) last Thursday arrested him and two other persons in the smuggling case.
Also read: Courier employee caught in silver smuggling racket
Investigations have revealed that the trio has in the past smuggled around 16 consignments, of a total of 1,024 kg, provisionally worth Rs 4 crore. The three arrested are Hitesh Fofandi, the Aramex employee, Rahul Khamker, a consignment agent and Hemant Bandola, a trader.
According to Customs officials, during investigation Fofandi admitted that he would remove goods from the courier terminal without examination and assessment. Khamker would take the consignment from Aramex's hub office in Andheri (East) and deliver it to Bandola.
Officialspeak
Speaking to mid-day, Milind Lanjewar, additional commissioner of Customs, said, "After the jewellery was seized on April 24, the panchnama was carried out under the Customs Act 1962. The three have been arrested, and further investigations are going on."
Lanjewar also confirmed that the licence of the courier agency was not renewed due to their employee's involvement in the case. Meanwhile, spokesperson of Aramex affirmed that their organisation was cooperating with Customs officers in the case.
