LAHORE: The Customs Appellate Tribunal has ordered the release of an impounded truck along with loaded items by imposing fine equal to 15 percent of the value of goods and directed the appellant to pay the liable duty/taxes if any.
As per details, the Customs Tribunal comprising Technical Member Omer Mehdi heard the case filed by Haji Meer Hassan against the Multan Customs Adjudication additional collector and Multan Anti-Smuggling Orgainsation (ASO) superintendent.
The brief fact of case that staff of ASO in pursuance of specific and credible information intercepted truck loaded with the consignment of foreign origin polythene coming from the Afghanistan en-route Loralai-DG Khan via Indus High way to Faisalabad on 18 July 2013.
The officials asked the driver to produce documents showing legal import of the items but the truck driver failed to do the same. Therefore, the goods along with truck were impounded and a show cause notice issued to accused person and the case was referred to the Customs Adjudication.
The adjudication authority decided the case in favour of Customs. Later, the appellant moved Customs Tribunal against the decision.
Khawaja Omer Mehdi heard the case and remarked in the final order that “the clear provision of Section 181 of Customs Act, 1969 the adjudicating officer with regard to over right confiscation of merchandise is modified to extent that goods shell be redeemed to the appellant on the payment of redemption fine equaling 15 percent of value goods in addition to duties and taxes.”
