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CBI nabs four in forex smuggling racket

The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested four persons in connection with the smuggling of foreign exchange worth millions of rupees through speed post in connivance with some customs and postal officials.

"Four persons who had been sending the parcel containing dollars to an address in Hong Kong were arrested from Chail in Himachal Pradesh," CBI spokesman S M Khan told reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday.

He said the four, identified as Surjeet Singh Chopra, Harpal Singh Chopra, Rawal Singh Chopra and Daljit Singh Chopra, admitted during interrogation that they had been sending the parcels to a money exchange company in Hong Kong at the behest of another person identified as Sanjay Gupta.

According to the tabulation done by the CBI, the accused had smuggled out nearly $1.5 million (approximately Rs 70 million) during May 1 and June 1, 2001, the spokesman said.

He said Interpol in Hong Kong had been alerted to find out the antecedents of the company as the CBI "suspects that this money was being collected at Hong Kong and was further transferred to various other places also."

CBI had filed a case against them and three customs officials, including a deputy commissioner, in this connection.

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