• Source:JND
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A row has erupted after Wintrack Inc, an electronic gadget and lifestyle product importer, accused the Chennai Customs of being involved in bribery practices and harassment, while announcing the closure of all its EXIM operations.

Taking to X, the company said, "From October 1, 2025, our company will cease import/export activities in India."

Accusing the Chennai Customs officials of harassment for exposing bribery practices, the importer added, "For the past 45 days, Chennai Customs officials have relentlessly harassed us. After exposing their bribery practices twice this year, they retaliated, effectively crippling our operations and destroying our business in India. We deeply thank everyone who has supported us during these difficult times."

Calling it dismaying, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor highlighted that corruption remains rampant across the system. He replied to Wintrack Inc's post, saying, "This is truly dismaying. Corruption remains rampant across the system and most companies simply comply as part of the price of doing business. It doesn’t have to be this way. Indeed, it must not be like this if the country is to grow and prosper."

Chennai Customs, however, refuted the claims, arguing that the accusation of harassment and non-cooperation was demonstrably false.

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"The importer's social media posts reveal a calculated pattern: allegations of corruption when facing legitimate scrutiny, followed by deletion of his thread when facts of violation by importer are placed on record," the Chennai Customs said.

"We categorically state that every action taken was legally mandated, procedurally proper, and based on documented violations discovered during examination," the statement said.

Responding to allegations, the Chennai Customs said, "This importer has an established pattern of making unsubstantiated allegations of corruption and bribery on this platform, only to delete such posts once factual rebuttals are provided by this department."

What is the controversy all about?

The row stems from eight undeclared boxes of USB cables with built-in rechargeable batteries. The gadget requires an EPR certificate from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which was not present with the boxes.

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"During examination, goods declared under CTH 90191010 were found to be misclassified and correctly classifiable under CTH 90191020. The importer accepted this reclassification on 01.09.2025, confirming the misclassification. Physical examination revealed eight boxes containing USB charging cables that were completely undeclared in the Bill of Entry, commercial invoice, and packing list - a clear violation of Section 111 of the Customs Act, 1962," Chennai Customs said.

The customs added, "Despite repeated queries on 29.08.2025, during personal hearing on 08.09.2025, and again on 29.09.2025, no EPR certificate was provided. Instead, the importer submitted wrong documentation (E-waste undertaking) and made legally untenable claims of MSME exemption, finished product exemption, and low battery capacity exemption - none of which exist under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022."

The Chennai Customs also dismissed the harassment and non-cooperation charges, saying that the importer was granted personal hearing in "accordance with principles of natural justice."