Title - Railway stations a big draw for smugglers

Ernakulam’s busy railway stations continue to be attractive entry points for those looking to smuggle in goods evading taxes even as the Sales Tax Department has found putting up check-posts at railway stations not feasible.

Easy scam: It is the simplest of lures and the easiest of scams to operate. Bring in an equipment, say an electric fan, that does not exist in any records. If you can get past the taxman you can sell it, even at a discount, to make a profit.A senior official of the Sales Tax Department told The Hindu on Tuesday that the department made daily inspection of goods coming out of the Ernakulam North and South railway stations. The intelligence squads deployed in the town area take turns to ensure daily visits to the railway stations.These efforts have resulted in the number of detections increasing substantially though the Department keeps its fingers crossed considering that the city railway stations are the major entry points for electrical goods, ready-made garments and electronic equipment.

From outside State:Electronic equipment are brought mostly from North Indian markets like New Delhi while electrical equipment, comprising motors and fans, water pumps and electrical cable, are brought in from centres in Tamil Nadu. Readymade garments are from centres in Tamil Nadu, including Coimbatore.The official admitted that the number of cases of duty evasion detected by the department had gone up this year.The major goods smuggled are electronic equipment.