| Date: |
30-04-2015 |
| Subject: |
Excise officials seize Rs28 lakh worth duty evaded ethyl alcohol |
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State excise officials have cracked down on duty-evaded import of ethyl alcohol into the state. Officials allege that the state exchequer was being duped of duty running into lakhs through the import of this ethyl alcohol from China. This liquid was being supplied to schools and colleges for laboratory use, and to medical practitioners and industries.
A state excise team raided a godown at Bhiwandi on Wednesday and seized the consignment worth Rs28.20 lakh which was contained in 28,200 bottles packed in 1,410 boxes.
The raid was conducted by inspectors Mukund Bilolikar, Subhash Jadhav, Mahesh Dhanshetty and sub-inspectors Shankar Amberkar and Sanjay Pawar, under the guidance of excise commissioner SS Shinde and Prasad Surve, director, vigilance and enforcement, state excise.
While the importer, who stored these consignments at a warehouse in Bhiwandi before taking it to Solapur, is at large, the godown owner has been arrested.
"The liquid was being brought in from China without paying state excise duty and sans the necessary licenses," said Jadhav, adding that the chemical was levied duty at 14% in Maharashtra.
"We anticipate that ethyl alcohol worth crores has been brought in so far; we will check the records to know the extent of evasion," said Jadhav, adding that the state government had been duped of revenue running into lakhs.
He said that the importer, who brought in two containers with around 2,700 boxes every month, only paid central excise on the consignment and added that so far, over 50 such containers had been brought in.
Source : dnaindia.com
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