30 aspirants detained for cheating in Customs exam

CHENNAI: As many as 30 aspirants for central government jobs were caught using bluetooth earphones and gadgets to cheat in an exam conducted by the Customs department in Chennai on Saturday.

Police have detained those caught trying to cheat in the exams and are investigating.

Police sources said that the exam was to fill in vacancies for the posts of clerks, attendants, car drivers in the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

About 17 vacancies were to be filled for which 15,000 people have applied. Among the applicants, 1200 were shortlisted and called for a written examination at the Customs house on Rajaji Salai.

During the exams, one of the invigilators noticed suspicious behaviour from an aspirant and on close inspection, the aspirtant was found wearing a bluetooth earphone in his ear. There were also other gadgets in his possession after which other invigilators were alerted and a total of 30 persons were found to be in possession of bluetooth devices during the exam.

All of them were handed over to the North Beach police for further enquiry.

Of those caught, 26 persons are from Haryana while two each are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Police have also launched a search for the person who was relaying answers to the aspirants from outside and how he caught hold of the question paper.

Police sources said that the 30 persons are likely to be booked under various sections including cheating.