This week has all been about bribery and corruption allegations clouding Chennai Customs’ reputation. A Tamil Nadu man is at the centre of the debate that has not only shaken the foundations of the Indian Government, but also urged others to come forward with their own set of proofs backing claims of customs officials demanding hefty bribes from businesses to release their imported consignments. His name is Prawin Ganeshan.

The issue especially blew out of proportion after the Tamil Nadu-based trading company Wintrack Inc announced it was ceasing all import and export operations in India, prompting the Department of Revenue to kick off a formal inquiry into the allegations. “For the past 45 days, Chennai Customs officials have relentlessly harassed us. After exposing their bribery practices twice this year, they retaliated, effectively crippling our operations and destroying our business in India,” read the company’s October 1 post.

Prawin Ganeshan’s Wintrack Inc shipment at the centre of the Chennai Custom scandal

Its founder, Ganeshan, further disclosed on his personal X account that the shipment in question consisted of massagers from a line of sexual wellness products. Although Chennai Customs vehemently denied the allegations, in turn, launching its own set of accusations against the Tamil Nadu entrepreneur, Ganeshan continued doubling down on his statements. Meanwhile, his company has since also affirmed, “We do not solely depend on Indian business for our revenue and growth,” while replying to concerns about the firm going up against government officials.

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In a video released on Wintrack’s official social media page, Ganeshan laid out the alleged sequences of events leading up to his ultimate bombshell confession on X. Therein, Prawin claimed that his company was asked to hand over a bribe of Rs 8 lakhs in January. Negotiations reportedly followed on the front, however Ganeshan said that the customs officer refused to back down on his demand. Furthermore, he claims to have recorded the call with the agent at the time, and “exposed” him on X, resulting in the subsequent release of Wintrack’s shipment.

Prawin Ganeshan on ‘series of events’ backing bribery allegations

According to the video, Ganeshan eventually deleted the original tweet. Months down the line, another shipment is believed to have been held back in May. Another bribe demand is said to have followed. This time, the agents initially asked for Rs 5 lakh, but they paid Rs 3 lakhs to assessment and SIB instead of paying it to the officers in the loop. The pattern appears to have repeated over the months, until August, which is when Ganeshan says things took a turn for the worse.

Wintrack Inc founder and his many roles

According to the Tamil Nadu entrepreneur’s LinkedIn profile, he is also the founder and CEO of Kamakart.com, which is “India’s physical sexual wellness store” that started in 2014 in Tiruppur. In addition to his Wintrack roots, he claims to be the director of the foreign trade company Dongguan Shengdao Import and Export Co Ltd.

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“My expertise lies in streamlining door-to-door logistics and managing distribution for both wholesale and retail, ensuring brand owners receive unparalleled support,” read Prawin Ganeshan’s bio on LinkedIn. As per his official X account, Prawin is also the face of the pet products online store The Zoo Mart. Additionally, he lists himself as a China sourcing expert, cross border logistics provider, and D2C brands owner on social media.

The account further details that he got his master’s degree in international business from the Manchester Metropolitan University, and his bachelor’s from Bharathiar University.