KARACHI: Directorate Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) of Custom has contacted Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to initiate legal procedure to arrest the prime accused and the owner of M/s Digicom Traders in mega smuggling and tax evasion scandal, Customs Today has learnt through a high official of I&I.
Meanwhile Directorate Intelligence and Investigation has lodged another FIR against M/s Digicom Traders (QMobile) in which once again the owner of the company Zeeshan Akhtar has been booked along with his other officials of his company.
“This is the second FIR against the company in last four days,” said Deputy Director of Directorate Customs Intelligence and Investigation. He further said that they have registered a fresh FIR on Monday after the successful raid on a bungalow in which they recovered over 80,000 dumped Q-Mobiles and two arrested officials of company has been produced in the custom court for obtaining further remand.
It also has been learnt that Custom Preventive has decided to ban the company for ever and initiated the process for cancellation of the working and import license of the company whereas the Directorate Intelligence and Investigation officials has sought all the record of the company’s import since the company started its business in Pakistan.
Additional Collector Customs Ali Zaman Gardezi, Directorate Intelligence and Investigation has told that after checking the whereabouts of prime accused Zeeshan Akhtar who filed GD from hisself ID into Green Channel for clearing four containers, they have came to know that he has fled away to Dubai.
It is pertinent to mention that on 5th of November on this month Customs Appraisement East had recovered Rs18.7 million from M/s Digicom Trading Pvt Ltd (Qmobile), which was short-paid through availing inadmissible concessions under 5th and 6th Schedule on the import of LED lights. Moreover, recovery notices for recovery of Rs33 million have also been served on M/s Digicom.
Meanwhile officials of Directorate Intelligence and Investigation has initiated a separate hunt to recover the smuggled stuff under the garb of LED Bulbs from various godowns of the said company which was brought into the country in four containers through Green Channel by mis-declaration in the documents and further cleared by the appraisement staff.
Directorate Intelligence and Investigation team in the supervision of Deputy Collector Directorate Intelligence and Investigation Sindh (I&I) Shah Faisal Sahu had recovered over 80,000 QMobiles from a bungalow situated in the posh area of DHA Phase 7 worth Rs1.2 billion on Saturday and arrested two key officials of the company who are being interrogated.
A couple of days earlier, Customs Preventive found a container of the consignment imported by M/s Digicom declared to be LED lights. On examination, the container was found to be stuffed with mobile phones and tablets. The said consignment had been cleared from Green Channel.
After this incident, Customs got high alert and all the consignments of M/s Digicom were put on hold. Customs Preventive along with MCC Appraisement East conducted joint examination of six containers imported by M/s Digicom declared to contain LED lights. However, the goods were found to be as per declaration.
Assistant Collector Abeer Javed detected inadmissible concessions claimed by M/s Digicom under 5th and 6th Schedules. Abeer Javed found that the said concessions, which earlier were available on the import of LED lights had been withdrawn through a Customs General Order (CGO). Therefore, a recovery of Rs18.7 million was made pertaining to the six containers that had been examined.
Meanwhile, Deputy Collector Mohammad Ali Malik has issued notices to M/s Digicom for recovery of Rs33 million which had been evaded in the same manner.
An official said Green Channel facility actually to facilitate high-profile and reputed importers, but the facility was being grossly misused and the exchequer was suffering a huge loss.
The official said the risk management system (RSM) of Pakistan Customs was inefficient and it had failed to detect revenue leakages. Several high-profile companies had indulged into mis-declaration and revenue evasion since Green Channel has now become the safest way to import and clear anything by declaring anything and there is no check and balance in this regard.
Sources said a number of consignments are in line to be cleared through the Green Channel and it is reported that the unscrupulous elements would be clearing high-value and high-tariff goods by mis-declaring the same as low-value and low-tariff goods through the green channel.
Sources said presence of black sheep in the department was the primary reason for the failure of the risk management system.
Custom Preventive Qamar Thallo has told Customs Today that Collector Preventive Dr Iftikhar has ordered the investigative officer of Inquiries and Prosecution Branch (I&P) to take the investigation to the officials of appraisement and automation department who cleared the containers and gave the authority to the company to use Green Channel facility.
He also stated that the Collector has adopted very serious approach towards M/s Digicom and decided to ban this company entirely.
On the other hand Deputy Collector Shah Faisal Sahu said that the hunt was on and more raids on the dumping points were expected where company have dumped the stuff.
