Commissioner customs (air cargo, Delhi) Virendra Singh said Enforcement Directorate, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, IT department, Central Bureau of Investigation (economic offences wing) and Central Economic Intelligence Bureau are also being informed for further investigations.

He said the two group companies indulged in fraudulent imports exceeding Rs 30 crore by heavily overinvoicing computer peripherals, software and integrated circuits purchased from a Singapore company, Freesia Trading Pte Ltd. "Examination of goods revealed that these were worthless and were being imported to camouflage remittances abroad," Singh said.

Interestingly, Unicorp also made exports to Freesia Trading.

"The companies transferred huge sums of money abroad. It is a clear attempt to park funds outside which isclear from the fact that remittances were made to the Singapore company but Unicorp did not seek the clearance of the goods," he said.

Singh said Unicorp's promoter and managing director Arun Sogani has been interrogated by the customs authorities. Sources said Sogani is likely to be questioned by Enforcement Directorate in the next few days as the case primarily involves money laundering.

The customs authorities have been tracking Unicorp's imports for quite some time. Additional commissioner C Mathur and deputy commissioner Neeraj Kansal were personally involved in investigating the case.

Kansal said the two companies imported 44 consigments of software, peripherals and integrated circuits between May and December 1998 at highly inflated prices from Singapore.

Out of the 44 consignments received, the two companies filed bills of entry for clearance for home consumption in respect of 20 consignments invoiced at at Rs 12.34 crore. In another 12 consignments, the companies filed bond bill of entry ata declared price of Rs 11.22 crore. No bills of entry were filed for the remaining 12 consignments.

According to Kansal, investigations revealed that the two companies have made remittances of Rs 15.54 crore against these imports.

The preventive unit of the customs department (air cargo, Delhi) has also unearthed misuse of duty entitlement pass books (DEPB) scheme for exports by over-valuing exports.

It has seized consignments of acupressure shoe liners which Bless Overseas and Nigar Exports were trying to export. The exporter declared invoice price of Rs 250 against the market price of Rs 10 per item. Bless Overseas proprietor Rakesh Dwivedi has been arrested.