Trader Accused of Evading Tax on $14m of Gold
March 17, 21
(IDEX Online) - A trader has been arrested on suspicion of diverting duty-free gold worth almost $14m back into India's domestic market.
Preet Kumar Agarwal is accused of re-directing 250kg of gold after it had been formally cleared by airport Customs officers for export, thus evading tax.
He was arrested last Thursday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) also raided five locations in Hyderabad last week, among them Ghanshyamdas Gems & Jewels, owned by his father Sanjay Kumar Agarwal.
The Times of India quotes ED officials as saying: "Instead of bringing (the consignment) to Dubai, Preet Kumar passed on the boxes containing the gold jewellery to his father Sanjay, who was waiting outside the airport.
"Sanjay, in turn, booked the consignment with Indigo Airlines domestic cargo so as to transfer it from Kolkata to Hyderabad."