PESHAWAR: Customs Dry Port allegedly cleared 701 illegal consignments from 2015 to 2017, causing billions of rupees losses to the customs exchequer, revealed official documents.
According to the NAB documents received by Customs Today, an interrogation process has been started at a high level to trace corruption in clearance of old and used cars which were imported under amnesty scheme.
Customs Today has been the first to disclose the fraud carried out at the Peshawar Dry Port from 2015 to 2017 where different appraisers cleared illegal consignments.
Earlier, the Customs Department initiated a departmental investigation against Athar Naveed, the then deputy collector of the dry port, and found that he allegedly misused his authority and illegally cleared the consignments in violation of the applicable rules. Malik Aman, Mumraz Alhaaj Gul and others, being superintendents, allegedly helped clear the consignments in violation of the applicable rules. In connivance with each other, they illegally assessed and cleared 488 consignments and caused Rs 9,180.75 million losses to the national exchequer.
DC Customs Dry Port Peshawar during the period from 2015 to 2017 cleared 213 illegal consignments which were supposed to be confiscated and auctioned under the provisions of Customs Act, 1969 and persons leveled in the matter were liable for fines of more than ten times of the worth of the goods.
Shahid Akbar in connivance with other accused persons misused his authority and cleared machinery worth Rs 269.24 million in violation of the Customs Acts, 1969, Import Policy order, 2016 and foreign exchange manual where as the market value of the said machinery was Rs 1314.78 million and so far colossal loss could be worth Rs 4007.17 million.
Ex Appraiser Abdul Hadi at Customs Dry Port Peshawar has illegally cleared 226 consignments from 2015 to 2017 when he was appraiser. He misused his authority and cleared the said machinery in violation of Customs Acts, 1969, Import Policy order, 2016 and foreign exchange manual. He illegally cleared machinery worth Rs 285.67 million whereas market value of the same is Rs 1395.02 million.
Whereas Hidayat Ullah Appraiser Customs Dry Port Peshawar illegally cleared 262 consignments from 2016 to 2017. He misused his authority and cleared the said machinery in violation of the Customs Acts, 1969 Import order 2016 and Foreign exchange manual. The accused cleared illegally machinery worth Rs 331, 81 million where as the market value of the same is Rs 1617.23 thus inflicting colossal loss of Rs 4929.01 million.
The interim challans in FIR NO 32, 33 & 34 dated 30-05-2017 filed by customs department were transferred under section 16-A of NAO, 1999 by Special Judge, Customs Taxation and Anti-Smuggling Court Peshawar on 26-10-2017. Since the challans are interim in nature and investigation had not been completed by any of the agency because of Peshawar High Court proceedings in WP No: 4336-P/2017.
The accused were arrested on 15-8-2017, 19-9-2017 and 2-11-2017 respectively and it is incumbent upon the investigation agency to submit interim reference against them.
Hence the interim reference against the arrested accused persons is being filed. Investigation against all other involved persons is in the progress because they challenged the process of section 16-A of the NAO, 1999 in writ petition No. 4336-P/2017 which was disposed of on 29-11-2017. The answer to the queries subjective to interrogation and defense point of accused concerned is yet to be obtained for final investigation.
