KARACHI: Customs Court Judge Syed Faiz Rasool issued notices to the special public prosecutor and investigation officer on bail applications filed by accused persons in a case of attempting to smuggle and illegal export of 508 black spotted turtles to Malaysia
Accused persons Tauseef Ahmed Siddiqui owner of the M/s SARAS International and Abdul Hameed of M/s Al Hameed Enterprises filed the pleas before the court.
During the hearing, counsel for the accused submitted that applicants are innocent and were falsely implicated in this case, adding that applicants are not previously convicted in any case and no any case is pending against them in any court.
The counsel further argued that applicants are law abiding citizens of Pakistan and ready to furnished solvent surety to the satisfaction of this court; therefore, the court may grant them bail.
According to the prosecution, the staff of the Customs Intelligence-Enforcement lodged FIR No 36/2016 dated August 16, 2016 against the accused persons who have been found involved in the smuggling and illegal export of 508 black spotted turtles, shipped to Klang Selangor, Malaysia dated April 25, 2016. The goods declaration was filed through M/s SARAS International, Karachi under the garb of export of 29 metric tonnes of fresh potatoes of Pakistan origin.
On last date of hearing, investigation officer further informed the court that the during the investigation it transpired that the consignment was cleared through green channel of computerised system on declaration without physical examination and assessment through Model Customs Collectorate Export.
