Wintrack To Exit India, Reports Harassment By Chennai Customs: Govt Orders Probe

The finance ministry on Thursday, Oct. 2, ordered an enquiry to examine the harassment allegations against Chennai Customs by logistics firm Wintrack Inc. In a statement, the finance ministry said it has deputed a senior officer from the revenue department to conduct a detailed factual enquiry and thoroughly examine all relevant documentary evidence.

Amid allegations of corruption levelled against Chennai Customs by Wintrack, the company is said to cease its operations in India. The import company, on Oct. 1 took to 'X' (formerly Twitter) to announce the closing of business, over harassment by Chennai customs officials and demand for bribes.

Wintrack enables buyers to effortlessly shop from any China and Thailand e-commerce website and enjoy seamless doorstep delivery anywhere in India. In a statement on 'X', the company said: “After exposing their bribery practices twice this year, they retaliated, effectively crippling our operations and destroying our business in India. We deeply thank everyone who has supported us during these difficult times."

On Thursday, Chennai-based Wintrack Inc. founder Ganeshan posted a video on 'X' detailing the sequence of events since January 2025 that led to his decision to close down his business. He said his shipments were held by Chennai customs and released only after the bribe asked by customs officials was paid.

The finance ministry, in a post on 'X', said that the government has taken cognizance of the matter raised by Wintrack Inc. and the Department of Revenue has been asked to undertake a fair, transparent, and fact-based inquiry into the present issue.

'A senior officer from DoR has been deputed to conduct a detailed factual enquiry, hearing the parties concerned, officials, and thoroughly examining all relevant documentary evidence,' the ministry said. It added that the matter is being dealt with utmost seriousness, and the government is committed to taking appropriate and expeditious action in accordance with the law.

The ministry said that in recent years, the government has implemented a series of taxpayer-friendly initiatives, such as the adoption of the Taxpayer Charter, the introduction of faceless customs procedures, and the establishment of appellate bodies for dispute resolution, with the objective of enhancing transparency and promoting ease of doing business.

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) also posted on 'X', clarifying that the issue pertains to misdeclaration and misclassification by the importer. 'All facts will be duly examined. Necessary action, as warranted under the law, will be taken,' the CBIC had tweeted.

The Chennai Customs however, has denied the allegation of bribery from the logistics company and claimed that the accusation of harassment and non-cooperation were demonstrably false. The firm’s selective narrative was a deliberate tactic to pressure officials into releasing cargo without following due process, said Chennai Customs, responding to accusations.

''The importer's social media posts reveal a calculated pattern: allegations of corruption when facing legitimate scrutiny, followed by deletion of his thread when facts of violation by importer are placed on record,'' said Chennai Customs said.

This selective narrative was a deliberate tactic to pressure officials into releasing cargo without following due process. 'We categorically state that every action taken was legally mandated, procedurally proper, and based on documented violations discovered during examination,' the statement said.