25 pc of smuggled goods are computer hardware
MID-DAY (JULY 2001)
By Skimmy Gupta
"Information Technology products (computer hardware) accounted for 25 per cent of the total seizures in the past three months at the international airport," says Ahmed Hussain, Additional Commissioner of Customs, Sahar Airport.
According to custom officials, 13 IT seizures were made in the last three months. The bulk of the products seized were computer periherals including P3 and P4 processors, motherboards, RAM (Random Access Memory) modules, hard disk drives, VGA (display) cards, sound-cards all of which form major building blocks for computer systems. Laptops were also seized.
Hussain says, "Recently efforts have been made to smuggle a lot of computer hardware but our officers are always alert. They have seized IT products worth Rs 3,06,75,924 in the local market in the first quarter of the current financial year. The IT seizures in the year 2000 were valued at Rs 70,04,330."
The main reasons for the sudden surge in smuggling of these parts is attributed to the demand. Secondly, the latest versions of computer peripherals available abroad are in greater demand and sell briskly with huge profit margins in the Indian market. Compact and minimal space consuming parts like RAM modules, processors etc. are usually smuggled in huge quantities.
Sanjay Parelkar, Deputy Commissioner, said, "We recently had a major seizure of Rs 1.5 crore worth of sophisticated electrical equipment for database programs. The smuggled goods were flown in by a courier company not registered in the list of the importer. In the past couple of months, RAMs/ROMs have been seized from passengers' handbags and chips concealed in cigarette cartons."
"Preventive measures in our security are upgraded regularly to reduce the inflow of smuggled goods. The shuffling of officials from one place to another and manning more areas helps ensure that the baggage is not sneaked out from the aircraft. Within the next few months X-Ray machines will be installed in conveyor belts, thus increasing security."
MID-DAY (JULY 2001)
By Skimmy Gupta
"Information Technology products (computer hardware) accounted for 25 per cent of the total seizures in the past three months at the international airport," says Ahmed Hussain, Additional Commissioner of Customs, Sahar Airport.
According to custom officials, 13 IT seizures were made in the last three months. The bulk of the products seized were computer periherals including P3 and P4 processors, motherboards, RAM (Random Access Memory) modules, hard disk drives, VGA (display) cards, sound-cards all of which form major building blocks for computer systems. Laptops were also seized.
Hussain says, "Recently efforts have been made to smuggle a lot of computer hardware but our officers are always alert. They have seized IT products worth Rs 3,06,75,924 in the local market in the first quarter of the current financial year. The IT seizures in the year 2000 were valued at Rs 70,04,330."
The main reasons for the sudden surge in smuggling of these parts is attributed to the demand. Secondly, the latest versions of computer peripherals available abroad are in greater demand and sell briskly with huge profit margins in the Indian market. Compact and minimal space consuming parts like RAM modules, processors etc. are usually smuggled in huge quantities.
Sanjay Parelkar, Deputy Commissioner, said, "We recently had a major seizure of Rs 1.5 crore worth of sophisticated electrical equipment for database programs. The smuggled goods were flown in by a courier company not registered in the list of the importer. In the past couple of months, RAMs/ROMs have been seized from passengers' handbags and chips concealed in cigarette cartons."
"Preventive measures in our security are upgraded regularly to reduce the inflow of smuggled goods. The shuffling of officials from one place to another and manning more areas helps ensure that the baggage is not sneaked out from the aircraft. Within the next few months X-Ray machines will be installed in conveyor belts, thus increasing security."
Labels: City
posted by Skimmy @ January 12, 2009
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