KARACHI: Model Customs Collectorate Appraisement-East has initiated scrutiny of containers auctioned at PICT and Pak Shaheen in the last one year to confirm whether the goods auctioned were actually the goods imported.
Collector Appraisement East Ashad Jawwad has tasked Preventive Officer Malak Hashim to investigate the case and identify the number of containers that were illegally replaced/removed. Sources said goods of some 70 containers were removed/replaced at the terminals.
The appraisement has lodged an FIR against several persons including officials of M/s Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT) for fraudulent clearance and delivery of fabric consignments by cross shifting of the cargo after examination by Customs.
It may be mentioned here that after three months, if a container is not cleared, it automatically moves for auction. Malak Hashim is assigned to scrutiny the containers auctioned at PICT and Pak Shaheen terminal in the last one year to confirm through the manifests that the goods auctioned were actually the goods imported.
Goods including Indian origin grey fabric had been got cleared fraudulently by stuffing the same in some other containers. GD log reports that the importers held up the consignments by not accepting Order-in-Original generated for non-recovery of invoice from the containers or on the stage of assigned to gate out.
When the consignments were re-examined and astonishingly the goods were found replaced with low value and low tariff goods.
Sources said Chief operating officer (COO) of PICT Khurram Aziz Khan was also being investigated. He was CEO of QICT in 2007-08 and at that time around 287 containers went missing from QICT.
It may be mentioned here that container terminals including PICT, QICT, Gerrys and Pak Shaheen have so far been found facilitating crimes and frauds and inflicting loss to the national exchequer.
