Mumbai: DRI cracks down on smuggling of E-waste, seizes Rs 23 crore; Mastermind arrested
The DRO has arrested 1 person for his alleged involvement in smuggling illegal import of used electronic goods. The man as arrested from Surat and is said to be the head of a firm which helps deal in illegal imports of these goods. The police have seized a consignment consisting of 17,760 old and used laptops, 11,340 mini CPUs and 7.140 processor chips.
New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in Mumbai, has busted a racket of illegal import of used electronic goods. They busted a racket of illegal export and import of environmentally hazardous e-waste. The operation named "Operation DigiScrap" helped seize consignments worth Rs 23 crore, said a report in a local daily.
Police arrest mastermind
Not only did the law enforcement agencies manage to seize a huge consignment of illegal scrap, but they also arrested the mastermind behind the entire racket. He is reportedly based in Surat.
Investigators said that the consignment seized from the smugglers consisted of 17,760 old and used laptops, 11,340 mini CPUs and 7.140 processor chips. All these together were categorised by DRI officials as Aluminium Treat Scrap. The goods were concealed behind a few rows of aluminium scrap in 4 containers at the Nhava Sheva Port.
The officials seized the entire consignment under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962.
What the law says
According to Indian laws, the import of old or used refurbished laptops, CPUs and electronic components is prohibited. The rule to not import such items is laid down in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023, the E- Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 and the Electronic and IT Goods (Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021.
The laws are aimed at preventing public health hazards, environmental damage and threats to the domestic electronics manufacturing sector.
The accused meanwhile has been sent to judicial custody. He is said to be the Director of the importing firm based in Surat. He is named as the key conspirator in the case, and is said to be involved in planning, procurement and execution of the entire smuggling racket.