THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is also suspected there were irregularities in awarding contract to the company to run the duty free shop inside the airport. Similarly, the airline companies are believed to have handed over their manifest to the company following the direction of the AAI and Customs officers. Ever since the fraud came to light, there was severe pressure on Customs to scuttle the investigation into the case and transfer the Customs officers in charge of the investigation.
However, Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar told Express the department would go ahead with the probe and bring all the accused involved in the crime before the court of law. It cannot be cowed down by simply exerting pressure on officers, he said.
He had suspended the licence of Plus Max after the private duty free shop allegedly used the passport details of around 13,000 international passengers who travelled through the airport during the period from September to December 2017 to divert the foreign liquor from the duty free shop at the airport to local grey market, causing an initial loss of around `6 crore as duty to the exchequer.