Customs department loses Rs 50 crore as hackers log in

NEW DELHI: The customs department has detected a large-scale fraud involving crooks hacking into its IT systems, manipulating data and causing a loss of around Rs 50 crore to the exchequer, sources have told TOI.
The department has complained to Delhi Police, which has instructed the cyber cell to probe it on priority. Police have zeroed in on two suspect businessmen.
An insider role is not ruled out and the police might question some officials of the department located in Tughlaqabad.Police are also probing the role of at least half a dozen firms used to encash the benefits that were enhanced through fake receipts.
The department has also conducted an internal inquiry and given a report to the police. Assistant commissioner M L Meena said crooks hacked into the electronic data interface systems and enhanced the values of customs-registered scripts, licences and authorisations issued by Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Bogus licences were fed into the system as well, the customs officer said.
The scripts provide benefits of export promotion schemes and also refund taxes to exporters, who could use them to pay import duty on inputs.
An FIR has been registered and police are trying to track down the IP address from which the systems were accessed.