SURAT: Textile machinery importers in the city have come under the scanner of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) following large-scale duty evasion by one of them at Sayan Road on Friday.
Official sources said the textile importer located at Hazari Industrial Estate at Sayan Road was raided by DRI sleuths following a tip-off. About 16 textile machines valued at Rs 2.5 crore including embroidery and weaving machines imported from Italy and Switzerland were seized for alleged duty evasion. "We have seized the machines for misusing the import promotional scheme of the central government and evasion of duty," said a senior DRI officer.
He said, "The demand for imported machines has increased in the city in the past couple of years following fast-paced technology upgradation in the embroidery and weaving sectors. The machines and equipment are imported under central government's import promotional schemes, evading customs duty."