GIFT, SOUVENIR OR BRIBE? ::::Customs Officer arrested with Johnnie Walker bottles and foreign currency from Port Blair Airport

Saket Lal & Sarthak Kanjilal

Port Blair, Jan 30: Mr. Swapan Kumar Majumdar, Superintendent of Customs, posted in A & N Islands has been arrested from Port Blair Airport by the Immigration and CID unit of Andaman and Nicobar Police today, when large amount of foreign made liquor bottles and some foreign currency have been found from his luggage.

According to reports the CID team had information that the Customs Superintendent is allegedly accepting foreign goods and currencies as gift or complements from foreigners, who are visiting Andaman in foreign Yachts or other foreign ships.

Today when Mr. Swapan Kumar Majumdar  was heading for Kolkata, the CID team requested CISF officials to check the luggage of Mr. Majumdar after which five, one litre bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Level (made in Scotland), five cane of Beer Heineken beer, one foreign cigarette packets and a few other foreign items were found from his luggage.

The CID and Immigration team immediately reached the scanning site along with the Dy.S.P (CID) Mr. Subodh Goswami. The Customs Superintendent was requested show his purse for further check as CID team had information that the officer is also in possession of foreign currencies. The team was headed by Inspector Solomon Samuel. Other members of the team consist of SI Jyothi Chatwal, Head Constable Ajay Kumar, Constable Venkateshwar and another staffs of Bomb Disposal Squad.

Eye witnesses say that during check 250 Euros, 50 US dollars and 50 Australian Dollars have been found from the purse of Mr. Majumdar.

The Customs Superintendent, Mr. Swapan Kumar Majumdar was proceeding to Kolkata by Go Air flight but was later arrested.

As accepting foreign goods and currencies as gift is also a crime for Government Servants, the CID team may also register a case against Customs Superintendent under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

“General Public is requested to pass such information about illegal activities on the following telephone numbers 233307, 232586, 100, 9434288536 & 9434289985. The informer will be rewarded suitably and his/her identity will be kept secret,” a police release said here.