CBIC Orders Vigilance Probe After Wintrack’s Allegations Of Irregularities At Chennai Customs

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has launched a vigilance investigation into allegations of irregularities made by Chennai-based importer M/s Wintrack Inc against officials of Chennai customs.

The inquiry, based on prima facie findings, is expected to be completed in 4-6 weeks.

To ensure a fair probe, CBIC has relieved the officers named in the preliminary report from their current responsibilities and transferred them out of the jurisdiction.

The license of the customs broker agent mentioned in the complaint has also been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

As part of corrective measures, CBIC is constituting a task force under member (customs) to review all pending cases to ensure consistent, transparent and legally sound application of regulations, with particular focus on MSMEs and small-scale importers.

License of the Customs Broker Agent named in the report has been suspended under regulation 16 of Customs Brokers Licensing Regulations, 2018 pending the final outcome of the vigilance investigation.

A police complaint has also been filed against unauthorised intermediaries.

CBIC said it is also reinforcing safeguards to prevent misuse of authority and retaliation against complainants.

Measures include maintaining complete anonymity in faceless assessments, tightening access to customs locations and strengthening grievance redressal mechanisms.

"These measures underscore the government's commitment to ensuring integrity in customs administration, strengthening systemic processes and facilitating seamless trade and commerce," CBIC said in the post on X.

The finance ministry had on 2 October ordered the probe following a series of social media posts by Wintrack Inc alleging harassment and bribery demands by Chennai customs officials.

The company claimed its operations had been disrupted twice this year and announced plans to suspend all import and export activities in India from 1 October.

Chennai customs had earlier denied the allegations, stating that the issue pertained to misdeclaration and misclassification of goods, including undeclared USB charging cables and the company's failure to provide the required Extended Producer Responsibility certification under the Battery Waste Management Rules.

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