Tamil Nadu-based Wintrack Inc. said it has ceased import-export activities in India, effective October 1, 2025, alleging harassment by Chennai Customs officials. The latter, however, has denied the allegations.
According to the company’s website, Wintrack enables buyers to effortlessly shop from any China and Thailand e-commerce website and enjoy seamless doorstep delivery anywhere in India.
Taking to X on Wednesday (October 1, 2025), Wintrack claimed its “difficult decision” comes after “repeated and unjustified harassment by officials at Chennai Customs” over the past 45 days.
“Earlier this year, when we exposed instances of bribery, we faced retaliatory actions that have severely impacted our ability to conduct business. Despite our best efforts, the sustained pressure has made it impossible to continue operations,” the company alleged.
The company’s founder Prawin Ganeshan, in another post on X, said Chennai Customs had raised an issue for the first time this year over charging cables not being declared separately for a massager shipment. “How can a factory sell a massager without a charging cable? The charging cable is included as part of the new product kit; every new product requires a charging cable to function,” he said.
“Charging cables are not sold separately and are always listed in the packing list. EPR and LMPC compliances were manually requested for the first time, causing delays and demurrages. The law has loopholes, and officers exploit them at their discretion,” he further alleged.
Customs responds
Chennai Customs categorically denied the allegations made by Wintrack and its founder.
“The allegations of harassment and non-cooperation are demonstrably false. At no stage was any payment or bribe demanded — all queries pertained strictly to mandatory statutory compliance under Battery Waste Management Rules 2022, BIS Act 2016, Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011, and Customs Act 1962,” it said.
“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. This selective narrative is 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,” Chennai Customs said.
Chennai Customs said it will not be deterred by false allegations from performing its statutory duties. “We remain committed to lawful, transparent, and professional conduct while enforcing regulations designed to protect public health, consumer safety, and environmental standards,” it said.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, in a post on X, clarified that the issue pertains to misdeclaration and misclassification by the importer. Chennai Customs has already responded on this aspect. Subsequently, the importer has shared certain names and screenshots on Twitter. The matter has been noted, and all facts will be duly examined. Necessary action, as warranted under the law, will be taken, it assured.
Published – October 02, 2025 11:24 am IST
