Superbike smugglers back in action in state

KOCHI: Think twice before buying an imported, used bike of international brands such as Ducati, BMW, Triumph, Suzuki and Honda, which bear the Maharashtra registration, for half the price than the same models sold at authorised showrooms in the country.For enforcement agencies – which unearthed the operations of a superbike smuggling racket in Kerala last month when they seized a Ducati motorcycle worth `20 lakh in Kochi – have warned prospective buyers such rackets have once again become active in Kerala after remaining dormant for the past couple of years.

The Customs, as well as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), have upped their surveillance to track the activities of the rackets which operate along the west coast, mainly from the Mumbai Port.
The probe into the Ducati bike seizure revealed it was smuggled from Dubai to Mumbai where the racket agents forged the necessary documents, including  Customs clearance certificate, for registering it with the Maharashtra Road Transport Department.

“Certain Regional Transport Offices and officers (RTOs) in Maharashtra have links with the rackets which bring the registered bikes to Kerala by riding them from Mumbai. There are exclusive agents who strike deals with prospective buyers in Kerala for the bikes,” said the officers. The DRI Mumbai unit is already probing the details of over 400 smuggled superbikes which were registered at an RTO in a town named Pen in Raigad district.

It was found the bikes registered at the Pen RTO were taken to Kerala.  “There is a huge demand for imported bikes and people don’t want to pay 125 per cent Customs duty. Once the vehicle is officially registered at an RTO office, it becomes legally-validated,” said enforcement officers.  The rackets sell the smuggled bikes for half the price than models available in showrooms, which attracts buyers.