Customs Officials Alleged of Demanding Bribery to Release Detained Goods; CBI Registers Case

In a recent case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR against these three customs officers for allegedly demanding bribes and misusing their official positions.

These customs officers, including a retired superintendent and two inspectors, are accused of demanding bribery in return for releasing the seized goods.

As per the CBI, the case was registered on February 3, 2026, after a complaint was filed by the Additional Commissioner, CGST, Guhawati. The three officials were posted at the Customs Preventive Force (CPF) in the Champhai district of Mizoram. They were accused of receiving illegal gratification for releasing the smuggled goods in Mizoram.

The CBI informed that during their posting in Champai between 2022 and 2023, the customs officials illegally detained goods like areca nuts and cigarettes without preparing proper seizure documents. They demanded bribes from the concerned person to release their detained goods. The goods were released after receiving the bribe amount of over Rs 35 lakh.

It was also alleged that goods worth more than Rs 1.42 crore were found missing from the stock available at godowns in connection with seizures conducted between December 23, 2022, and April 26, 2023.

The CBI’s investigation is still ongoing, with searches being conducted at the premises of the accused officials at several locations, including Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, Guwahati in Assam, Sikar in Rajasthan, Patna in Bihar, and Churachandpur in Manipur.