- Bribe Fighter
- 13 years ago
- 4183 views
LED TV Mumbai Customs open bribe demand
This experience of mine at Mumbai Airport Customs, forces me to think for what i could have done more to resist the corruption.
Last Month i went for a foreign trip for 2 weeks. Much before the trip i had already planned to buy a LED TV from UK as the cost of the TV + legal duty was still less than what i was getting in Mumbai.
I was leaving the country with My official Laptop and digital camera for the trip. While flying out from Mumbai, I ********** the customs at the airport and briefed them about my plans of buying a LED TV on my way back. A helpful customs officer asked me to register my laptop and digital camera details on a export paper else the customs can charge me a duty on the old item stating that i had bought this laptop and camera during the same trip. I was shocked as i realized i had no proof to support that the laptop and camera were old if customs catch me on my way back to mumbai. hence to be on the safer side i got the Export papers stamped while leaving Mumbai.
As planned on my way back i had a LED TV, Laptop(old) and camera(old) with me. Before coming to India i read the customs rules available on official website, also got the custom amount calculated by known custom officer. The legal duty i was expected to pay was Rs 2,200.
At the Mumbai Airport i myself went to the Red channel and declared the LED TV. I didn't know then that i was entering a black hole.
The custom officer Mr X asked me to show the receipts which i offered to him. i showed him the shop receipt with the Item code, Invoice number , VAT number and all the required details printed on it.
Mr X then asked me to put all my baggage under Scanner. Like expected they raised the eyebrows indicating for i was carrying a laptop and camera along and i am expected to pay a Customs on it as well.
I then showed him the export paper i had got stamped while leaving 2 weeks ago.
He calculated the customs duty to be Rs 2,200. He then started preparing the customs receipt and my eyes lit up with joy thinking the customs weren't as bad a i thought. And...
Just then Mr. X whispered, "Sir, Mere liye kya!!!!". I was stunned
I resisted stating that this is all legal and i will pay as per the legal rules. Mr X then started shuffling some papers, some item price list around his desk. He declined stating "Sir, Aisa toh nahi chalega!!!!"
He stated his deal: Pay Rs 2,200 as legal duty and a bribe of Rs 1500 to him.
He then went to his senior, they had some discussion over next 2-3 mins. Mr X then went to another office cabin, Came out with a print of a online portal selling same TV in India.
Mr X " yee TV toh India me 1,10,000 ka hia". He again put his head into the pen and paper and recalculated the customs duty and got the new figure Rs 12,500!!!!!
I resisted stating that the customs needs to be only paid on the cost i paid and not the cost of the TV in India. He called some rules numbers X,Y..Z.. and declined to roll back.
Like any other citizen i realized i had got into a mess. I then offered him to take the complete Rs 2,200 as black money and let me off.
He declined. I then tried perusing him and his senior custom officer. They turned down the request.
As my last resort i tried using my contacts at the Airport to bow them down. Like a Hindi movie the "Network was busy".
Though the mere reference of the contact made the custom officers sweat. But they still didn't bowed down.
I was bluntly told "We are confiscating the item, You got big contacts, come some other day and get the items from your known only". I knew then that the TV would with be lost/broken/cut to pieces if i let it go to their hands.
I was tired by then, completely helpless, with no option for where to go and what to do.
I then decided for i will take the item at the same moment and not pay a single penny as bribe.
I resisted ... resisted and resisted.
The Customs was calculated as Rs 2,200 on cost of TV + Rs 2,100 (Customs duty on VAT amount) = Rs 4,300
I was forced to Pay Rs 4,300 but was satisfied for i didn't bribe them and got a receipt for the same amount.
I left the airport with mixed feelings thinking i will take the issue with higher authorities and put a complaint.
Its been over a month now and i am sitting at my office reading the headlines on ********** Hazare and Govt Clashes as i DON'T know where to go and whom to raise the issue with!!!!