Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials on Tuesday arrested a 35-year-old Bhayander resident in connection with an alleged overvaluation of import of rough diamond case. The arrested person has been identified as Chirag Patel. According to the DRI, on receipt of specific information Chirag Patel's statement was recorded on Monday wherein he had stated that he was part of a conspiracy to overvalue the consignments of rough diamonds imported in the names of M/s Kaushali Impex Pvt Ltd, M/s Batuk Tradelink Pvt Ltd and M/s Shankeshwar Exim LLP at Precious Cargo Customs Clearance Centre (PCCCC) at BKC and siphoned off the funds as import payments. "In his statement Patel admitted that on account of monetary consideration offered to him by other members, he had consciously allowed such overvalued imports in the name of M/s Kaushali Impex Pvt Ltd, M/s Batuk Tradelink Pvt Ltd and M/s Shankeshwar Exim LLP. The six import consignments of these companies were declared to have a value of Rs 36 crore. The same import consignments on being revalued with Trade Advisory Expert Valuers of PCCCC, we found to have the value of only Rs 2.27 crore," said a DRI source. Explaining the modus-operandi of the fraud, the official said, "The other members of this organised syndicate allowed examination of imported packages by the expert valuers who were the panel members of the Custom House from whom bogus certification of the Expert Valuers were obtained to the effect that the declared description as mentioned in the bill of entry matched with the description of rough diamonds imported." "My client is innocent and he has been made scapegoat by the agency," said Patel's defence advocate Ravi Hirani.. CONFESSIONS

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