CHENNAI: In a dramatic move, the Union Finance Ministry has abruptly transferred the Principal Commissioner and a Deputy Commissioner of Customs at the Chennai International Airport. This decision, reportedly triggered by a sharp increase in drug trafficking and serious corruption allegations.
The transferred officials are Tamil Valavan, who had taken charge as the principal commissioner just six months ago, and deputy commissioner Harendra Singh Pal. Both have been shifted to the technical section of the customs department in Delhi.
The action comes on the heels of a special investigation by a four-member high-level team from the Union Finance Ministry. The team conducted a days-long inquiry into the functioning of the airport's customs and cargo divisions after a slew of complaints re