E-commerce firm Wintrack alleges corruption at Chennai Customs, Union govt orders inquiry
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.An e-commerce company called Wintrack Inc. announced that it would stop all import and export activities in India from October 1, alleging harassment by officials at Chennai Customs for over a month. The dispute was over a shipment consisting of personal massagers, commonly sold as sexual wellness products. While Chennai Customs denied the allegations of harassment and bribery, alleging various violations by the company itself, Wintrack has received support from many people on social media who said that they too have witnessed corruption when dealing with Customs officials across India when importing various products. The Union Ministry of Finance has taken cognisance of Wintrack’s allegations, and announced an inquiry into the matter by its Department of Revenue. Wintrack, founded by entrepreneur Prawin Ganeshan, imports products available on e-commerce websites in China and Thailand to India. These products range from personal massagers to cameras and various electronic devices. On October 1, Wintrack announced that it would stop operating in India saying Chennai Customs officials had “relentlessly harassed” them for 45 days over a shipment. “After exposing their bribery practices twice this year, they retaliated, effectively crippling our operations and destroying our business in India… Despite our best efforts, the sustained pressure has made it impossible to continue operations,” Wintrack said. From October 1, 2025, our company will cease import/export activities in India.For the past 45 days, Chennai Customs officials have relentlessly harassed us.After exposing their bribery practices twice this year, they retaliated, effectively crippling our operations and… pic.twitter.com/PmGib8srmM— WINTRACK INC (@wintrackinc) October 1, 2025 Chennai Customs responded by claiming that Wintrack had a pattern of making “unsubstantiated allegations of corruption…only to delete such posts once factual rebuttals are provided by this department.”However, according to Wintrack founder Prawin, he had deleted an earlier X post alleging corruption because the Customs had cleared his shipment after he made the post. Chennai Customs alleged that Wintrack had misclassified its goods, and that eight boxes containing USB charging cables were undeclared, a violation of the Customs Act. It said that since the imported goods (personal massagers) contain built-in rechargeable batteries, Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) registration from the Central Pollution Control Board was mandatory under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022. It also said that identical products were imported through Prawin’s wife’s company, with the same “compliance gaps.”In response to serious and false allegations made by @PrawinGaneshan regarding Bill of Entry No. 3837029 dated 12.08.2025, we categorically place the following facts on record. This importer has an established pattern of making unsubstantiated allegations of corruption and…— Chennai Customs (@ChennaiCustoms) October 1, 2025 Prawin, meanwhile, questioned how a massager can be sold without a charging cable. He alleged that the Customs department had not raised the issue of declaring charging cables separately until this year. “EPR and LMPC (Legal Metrology Packaged Commodities Certificate) compliances were manually requested for the first time, causing delays and demurrages (the cost of the delay in collecting the imported goods). The law has loopholes, and officers exploit them at their discretion,” Prawin wrote. The shipment in question is this massager!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.Customs raised an issue for the first time this year,… https://t.co/MRGaiyECsX pic.twitter.com/FD44EdZ8Ri— Prawin Ganeshan (@PrawinGaneshan) October 1, 2025 In a video released on October 2, Prawin alleged that Customs officials have been trying to find faults to withhold Wintrack’s shipments and cause losses to the company, as revenge for raising complaints on X. Sequence of Events Leading to Our ClosureI 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— WINTRACK INC (@wintrackinc) October 2, 2025 In the video, Prawin alleged that earlier in January, a Customs official from Delhi demanded a bribe of Rs 8 lakh over a shipment worth USD 1,300. The shipment was only released when Prawin recorded the call and posted it on X, he said, after which he removed the post. Following a similar demand in May for a bribe of Rs 5 lakh, Prawin alleged that his shipment was released only after he relented and paid Rs 3 lakh. In June, Prawin said he went public with another allegation on X after yet
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AN e-commerce company called Wintrack Inc. announced that it would stop all import and export activities in India from October 1, alleging harassment by officials at Chennai Customs for over a month.
The dispute was over a shipment consisting of personal massagers, commonly sold as sexual wellness products.
While Chennai Customs denied the allegations of harassment and bribery, alleging various violations by the company itself, Wintrack has received support from many people on social media who said that they too have witnessed corruption when dealing with Customs officials across India when importing various products.
The Union Ministry of Finance has taken cognisance of Wintrack’s allegations and announced an inquiry into the matter by its Department of Revenue.
Wintrack, founded by entrepreneur Prawin Ganeshan, imports products available on e-commerce websites in China and Thailand to India. These products range from personal massagers to cameras and various electronic devices.
On October 1, Wintrack announced that it would stop operating in India, saying Chennai Customs officials had “relentlessly harassed” them for 45 days over a shipment.
“After exposing their bribery practices twice this year, they retaliated, effectively crippling our operations and destroying our business in India… Despite our best efforts, the sustained pressure has made it impossible to continue operations,” Wintrack said.
From October 1, 2025, our company will cease import/export activities in India.
For the past 45 days, Chennai Customs officials have relentlessly harassed us.
After exposing their bribery practices twice this year, they retaliated, effectively crippling our operations and… pic.twitter.com/PmGib8srmM
— WINTRACK INC (@wintrackinc) October 1, 2025
Chennai Customs responded by claiming that Wintrack had a pattern of making “unsubstantiated allegations of corruption…only to delete such posts once factual rebuttals are provided by this department.”
However, according to Wintrack founder Prawin, he had deleted an earlier X post alleging corruption because the Customs had cleared his shipment after he made the post.
Chennai Customs alleged that Wintrack had misclassified its goods, and that eight boxes containing USB charging cables were undeclared, a violation of the Customs Act.
It said that since the imported goods (personal massagers) contain built-in rechargeable batteries, Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) registration from the Central Pollution Control Board was mandatory under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022. It also said that identical products were imported through Prawin’s wife’s company, with the same “compliance gaps.”
In response to serious and false allegations made by @PrawinGaneshan regarding Bill of Entry No. 3837029 dated 12.08.2025, we categorically place the following facts on record. This importer has an established pattern of making unsubstantiated allegations of corruption and…
— Chennai Customs (@ChennaiCustoms) October 1, 2025
Prawin, meanwhile, questioned how a massager can be sold without a charging cable. He alleged that the Customs department had not raised the issue of declaring charging cables separately until this year.
“EPR and LMPC (Legal Metrology Packaged Commodities Certificate) compliances were manually requested for the first time, causing delays and demurrages (the cost of the delay in collecting the imported goods). The law has loopholes, and officers exploit them at their discretion,” Prawin wrote.
The shipment in question is this massager!
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.
Customs raised an issue for the first time this year,… https://t.co/MRGaiyECsX pic.twitter.com/FD44EdZ8Ri
— Prawin Ganeshan (@PrawinGaneshan) October 1, 2025
In a video released on October 2, Prawin alleged that Customs officials have been trying to find faults to withhold Wintrack’s shipments and cause losses to the company, as revenge for raising complaints on X.
Sequence of Events Leading to Our Closure
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
— WINTRACK INC (@wintrackinc) October 2, 2025
In the video, Prawin alleged that earlier in January, a Customs official from Delhi demanded a bribe of Rs 8 lakh over a shipment worth USD 1,300. The shipment was only released when Prawin recorded the call and posted it on X, he said, after which he removed the post.
Following a similar demand in May for a bribe of Rs 5 lakh, Prawin alleged that his shipment was released only after he relented and paid Rs 3 lakh.
In June, Prawin said he went public with another allegation on X after yet another demand for a bribe.
Prawin alleged that shipments imported in the name of his wife’s company were also withheld, and despite approaching Chennai Customs officials and senior police officers, the shipments were not cleared. He also named certain Customs officials, alleging that they used abusive language towards him.
The Customs department, on the other hand, alleged that Prawin tried to intimidate senior officers and threatened them with “media exposure and self harm” during an official meeting on September 30.
The Union Ministry of Finance has said that a senior officer from the Department of Revenue has been deputed “to conduct a detailed factual enquiry, hearing the parties concerned, officials and thoroughly examining all relevant documentary evidence.”
“The matter is being dealt with utmost seriousness, and the Government is committed to taking appropriate and expeditious action in accordance with the law. It is reiterated that the Government is committed to enhancing ease of doing business,” the Ministry of Finance said.
The Government has taken cognizance of the matter raised by M/s Wintrack Inc (Chennai). (@wintrackinc).
The Department of Revenue (DoR) @FinMinIndia has been asked to undertake a fair, transparent, and fact-based inquiry into the present issue.
A Senior Officer from DoR has…
— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) October 2, 2025
