DRI busts base oil smuggling racket

India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Chennai has busted a base oil smuggling racket and arrested one person. It also seized oil worth Rs8.21 crore (US$1.81 million). Based on a tip-off that base oil was being imported after declaring it as rubber processing and extender oil to evade huge customs duty, the DRI intercepted nine imported consignments at the Tuticorin port and five at the Chennai port in the last two months. (December 22, 2010)