The Customs is out to crack the mystery behind the reported import of Quran boxes from the UAE using the diplomatic baggage route.
It has asked the State Protocol Officer (SPO) to furnish details of all diplomatic bags that have arrived through Thiruvananthapuram airport and also the exemption certificates (ECs) granted during this period by the SPO.
On March 4 this year, a diplomatic consignment weighing 4,479 kg had arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. Higher education minister K T Jaleel said it were "Quran boxes" meant to be distributed in Kerala. He said it was at the request of the UAE Consulate that he facilitated the transport of the holy books through the official vehicle of Kerala State Centre for Advanced Printing & Training (C-apt). Jaleel also said the distribution of holy books was an annual affair.
The Customs had expressed doubts about the claim. It felt that if there were 6,000 holy books, as had been claimed, then the weight of the consignment would have been considerably more than the weight recorded.
Even more crucial was the fact that an exemption certificate (EC) will not be granted for the import of religious books and related material if they are for free public distribution. An EC attested by the State Protocol Officer enables foreign consulates and their privileged members to clear admissible goods without customs duty at the airports.
The officials probing the case have found it strange that the holy books were cleared despite the ban on its import. A top source said the Customs sleuths want to rule out the possibility of the presence of "sinister materials" in the boxes transported to North Kerala as Quran boxes.
The Customs has asked for the ECs granted in the last two years to check if the import of the consignment supposedly containing holy books, even though prohibited, had the approval of the SPO.
Apart from this, the Customs has also sought the certified copies of the protocol manual relating to the duty-free clearance of diplomatic consignments. This manual, sources said, provides details of materials in a diplomatic consignment (the invoice and packing list), and other relevant information like the Airway Bill, the Certificate of Origin of goods from the supplier and also the Delivery Order issued by the airport.
The Customs has also sought the name of officers in the UAE Consulate who had applied for the exemption. The specimen signature of all officials in the UAE Consulate has also been asked for.
The SPO has to submit all these before August 20.
