Mumbai: A wanted customs duty offender was deported and brought here on Thursday after a Gulf country executed an Interpol Red Corner Notice issued by the CBI at the instance of Economic Offence Wing.
Mohsin Yusuf Poonawalla was absconding since 2009 after a case was registered by Yellowgate police station of Economic Offences Wing in 2008.
After a lot of formalities, the Interpol Red Corner Notice was issued against him in 2012.
The allegation against him was that he along with other accomplices had entered into a criminal conspiracy and used to import luxurious cars of various brands under
Transfer of Residence Scheme in the names of small time labourers who had stayed in Gulf region for more than two years.
The accused is alleged to have tampered with the chassis number and engine number of the vehicles and prepared forged documents to show that these vehicles are of old models to avoid custom duty. Some of these cars were reportedly sold to Bollywood actors and producers.
They allegedly submitted forged papers before customs authority and by declaring manufacturing year of vehicles evaded customs duty and there by causing a loss of Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 crore to the exchequer.
“A red corner notice was issued against Poonawalla on 2012 after he was not available for questioning and probe of the case registered against him,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (EOW) Pravin Padwal said.
According to Padwal, the case against Poonawalla was registered in May 2009 for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery.
He was arrested by EoW at the Mumbai international airport after being deported from the Gulf.
PTI