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CBI arrests proclaimed offender Sarit Vij after 22 years in a ₹58 lakh Customs Department fraud case. The accused had evaded arrest by changing his identity and documents, before being traced and apprehended in Noida.
CBI Nabs Customs Fraud Accused After 22 Years
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has achieved a major breakthrough by arresting a long-absconding proclaimed offender in a customs fraud case involving losses of approximately ₹58 lakh to the exchequer. The accused, Sarit Vij alias Sarat Kumar Vij, was carrying a reward of ₹10,000 for information leading to his arrest.
The case dates back to June 1, 1999, when the CBI registered a case against Joseph Kuok, then Superintendent at the Inland Container Depot (ICD), Tughlakabad, Delhi, and other accused for cheating the Customs Department. During the investigation, Sarit Vij’s role came to light as a key conspirator.
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Sarit Vij was a partner in M/s PS International, a firm that allegedly filed false duty drawback claims amounting to ₹19 lakh, contributing significantly to the overall loss of around ₹58 lakh to the government exchequer.
After completion of the investigation, Sarit Vij was charge-sheeted along with other co-accused. However, after the filing of the charge sheet in 2003, he failed to appear before the court. On January 30, 2004, the court declared him a Proclaimed Offender and announced a cash reward for information on his whereabouts.
Subsequent verification revealed that the accused had deliberately changed his identity to evade law enforcement. He altered his PAN card, Aadhaar card, and passport, and began living under a new name at a residential address in Noida.
Acting on fresh intelligence and technical analysis, the CBI conducted a carefully planned operation and successfully arrested Sarit Vij on January 7, 2026. The arrest finally brings closure to a case that had remained unresolved for over two decades.
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The arrest underlines the CBI’s resolve to pursue economic offenders relentlessly, irrespective of the time elapsed, and serves as a strong message that attempts to escape the law through identity changes will ultimately fail.
