KARACHI: Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigations has booked M/s World Fashion Textile for clearance of goods by mis-declaration and submitting fake and forged documents to circumvent the provisions of Import Policy Order.
According to the details of the case, information was received from Director General Customs Intelligence Shaukat Ali that a group of importers was involved in an organized crime of clearance of Indian Origin Polyester Grey Fabric through MCC (Appraisement), Lahore, which is banned under Import Policy Order 2016 by mis-declaring its origin as China.
Accordingly, Deputy Director Honnak Baloch launched a probe into the illegal import of Indian fabric from Dubai through manipulation in documents. Pursuant to the information, GDs filed by M/s World Fashion Textile for clearance of Polyester Grey Fabric declared to be of China Origin was examined in the WeBOC System and its detailed scrutiny revealed the consignment had been loaded from Jebel Ali Port, Dubai, and was not directly consigned/dispatched from China.
A notice was issued to the importer M/s World Fashion Textile followed by reminder for proving the trail of the receipt of consignment as well as payment of money to the seller but the same were received back undelivered with the remarks that such office is not available on the given address.
Simultaneously, a letter was written to the Consular-General, Hong-Kong for verification of the documents/information as uploaded in WeBOC System by the importer. In response, it has been confirmed by the Counselor General of Republic of Pakistan in Hong Kong that the consignor companies are not traceable inside mainland China as the same do not exist at the said addresses.
The picture emerging from the above is that forged/irrelevant documents are being prepared and presented to give the impression as if the goods were produced and consigned from China to Dubai and then from Dubai to Pakistan. Whereas in fact there is no authentic customs clearance document showing the export of the imported goods from China to Dubai.
The whole paperwork is a cover up exercise to clear the Indian Origin Grey Polyester Fabric in the garb of a mere paperwork to show the fabric as of Chinese origin.
It is established the importer and his representatives in connivance with the staff of NLC Dry Port violated the provisions of import policy order and cleared goods which otherwise are banned to be imported. The authorities have seized the goods valuing Rs14.89 million while it has been known that goods valuing Rs18.73 million have already been fraudulently cleared.
