Centre orders investigation as Wintrack accuses Chennai customs of bribery
What's the story
The Finance Ministry has ordered an investigation into bribery allegations against Chennai customs officials by Wintrack Inc, a Chennai-based import-export firm. A senior officer from the Department of Revenue (DoR) has been appointed to conduct the inquiry. The move comes after Wintrack announced its decision to halt all import-export operations in India from October 1, citing harassment by customs officials in Chennai.
Allegations
Allegations against officials of Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch
Wintrack, which allows customers to buy from Chinese and Thai e-commerce sites with home delivery in India, claims that officials retaliated after the company exposed alleged bribery practices twice this year. The company's founder Prawin Ganeshan has made specific allegations against officials of the Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch (SIIB). He claimed his wife's company was forced to pay over ₹2.1 lakh in bribes for a shipment worth $6,993.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Wintrack's post
Sequence of Events Leading to Our Closure
— WINTRACK INC (@wintrackinc) October 2, 2025
I will stay alive,i will survive,never give up 🙏🏻
On this Gandhi Jayanthi,Lets all join together to reduce,abolish corrupt hands
I have lost my health,got stress,still little left#wintrackinc #prawinganeshan #GandhiJayanthi… pic.twitter.com/NXJiMwEHLS
Denial
Dispute centers on undeclared boxes of USB cables
Chennai customs has denied the allegations, saying that the importer has a history of making baseless corruption charges and false allegations. The dispute centers on eight undeclared boxes of USB cables with inbuilt rechargeable batteries, which need certification from the Central Pollution Control Board. Chennai customs said no Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) certificate was submitted despite repeated queries on August 29, September 8, and September 29.
Reactions
Controversy has sparked widespread debate on social media
The controversy has ignited widespread debate on social media. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called the situation "truly dismaying," adding that corruption remains entrenched in the system and most companies comply as part of the "price of doing business." Mohandas Pai, chairman of Aarin Capital and former Infosys CFO, tagged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying: "You have failed to stamp out systemic corruption in our ports. Please act."