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The total revenue collection from indirect taxes upto December, 2004 is Rs. 1,17,856.86 crores as compared to Rs. 1,05,011.03 crores during the corresponding period of the preceding financial year. The collection of indirect taxes during the first nine months is Rs. 10,845.83 crores more than the corresponding period of preceding year.
The collection of Customs duty from April to December, 2004 is Rs. 41,211.44 crores as compared to Rs. 36,309.88 crores during the corresponding period of financial year 2003-2004 showing an increase of 13.50%. The collection of Excise duty during the same period stood at Rs. 68,425.86 crores against Rs. 63,616.69 crores during the corresponding period of preceding year. The collection of Service Tax during the first nine months stood at Rs. 8,219.56 crores as compared to Rs. 5,084.46 crores during corresponding period of preceding year showing an increase of 61.66%.
The anti evasion activities of the Customs and Central Excise Department have been accelerated. From April to December, 2004, Department realised Central Excise duty amounting to Rs. 160 crores and issued notices demanding duty of Rs. 1641 crores to unscrupulous manufacturers who were evading central excise duty. The major commodities which have been found to be evasion prone are automobile components and parts, iron and steel products, pan masala, gutkha, chewing tobacco, polyester yarn and bulk drugs.
During the first nine months of this financial year, show cause notices demanding customs duty of Rs. 1,438.34 crores have been issued to unscrupulous importers who were found evading customs duty. A case of evasion of customs duty of Rs. 42 crores has been detected against 2 Chennai based Advance Licence holders who diverted 9763 M.T. of duty free imported stainless steel sheets/coils in the local market. The Customs officers also seized high speed diesel oil worth Rs. 2.30 crores in Indian waters near Mumbai being unloaded from a Mother Vessel of Oman origin into barges to be smuggled into India.
On the anti-smuggling front, the Customs officers from April to December, 2004 seized goods valued at Rs. 825.29 crores. The main items seized are machinery and equipment, petroleum products, electronic goods, cigarettes, Red sanders wood, sea horses and consumer goods. In first nine months, 455 persons were arrested under the Customs Act and 130 persons have been detained under COFEPOSA.
In order to combat the menace of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, during December, 2004 departmental officers seized 114 kgs. of ganja. The total value of narcotic drugs seized during first nine months of this financial year is approximately Rs. 54 crores.
The Department also seized foreign currency of Rs. 67 lakhs during December, 2004. Fake Indian currency notes of Rs. 500 denominations of face value of Rs. 46 lakhs have been seized from two persons of Bangladesh origin. Indian currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 denominations worth Rs. 24.17 lakhs have been seized at Mumbai Airport from a Muscat bound passenger.
BSC/BY/GN-18/5
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