LAHORE: Collector Customs Appeals Dr Asif Mehmood Jah has accepted an appeal filed by Umair Ali and others and directed the Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) to release foreign origin juice after receiving 20 percent redemption fine.
According to reports, the ASO received information that a Suzuki pickup bearing registration no: LEI-3781 was parked near Lahore Hotel. During checking of the vehicle, the ASO team recovered a huge quantity of foreign origin Rani peach juice.
The ASO team asked the driver of the vehicle who had introduced himself as Umair Ali to produce legal documents regarding possession and transportation of the loaded juice, but he failed to produce any relevant documents in this regard. After his failure, the ASO team detained the vehicle and juice under section 2 (kk) of the Customs Act 1969.
The ASO forwarded the case to Customs Adjudication for further proceedings. During hearing the owner of the goods adopted the stance that he purchased the loaded juice from local market. The Customs Adjudication rejected his plea. Being aggrieved from decision the owner of the juice filed his appeal.
After examining the case, the Collector accepted the appeal with remarks that “I accept the instant appeal and 20% redemption fine imposed upon the seized Rani jice is reduced to 10% redemption fine alongwith leviable duty & taxes thereon. Moreover, this is no nexus of the owner of the vehicle with the seized goods. He was simply carrying the goods against a normal fare. There, under the circumstances, the imposition of 20% redemption fine imposed on the Suzuki Pickup is also reduced to 10%.
