MULTAN: The goods transport companies in southern Punjab are facing serious issue of safe passage of their legally imported consignments due to blackmailing of Customs Intelligence and Investigation field staff.
It was stated by President Goods Transport Association Multan Malik Irshad Dogar during his exclusive interview to Customs Today against the blackmailing of Customs Intelligence and Investigation field staff in the country.
He said that the goods transporters are playing significant role in the business promotion nationwide and they facilitate importers, retailers, suppliers and manufacturers for delivery of their goods at their desired destination according to their needs and demands.
Goods Transporters Association of South Punjab is abutting with multiple issues for the transportation of goods due to blackmailing of Customs Intelligence and Investigation staff of Sukkur region. Customs Intelligence and Investigation field staff deployed at Sukkur region illegally detained the lawfully imported goods at various check posts and openly demand bribe on every truck for safe passage.
He told that Sukkur region is a turning out to be devil for our innocent goods transporters due to extortion of Customs Intelligence and Investigation field staff. He informed that Customs Intelligence and Investigation stopped every coming truck in the Sukkur region to collect kickbacks and they detained the transporters vehicle for weeks without any reason on lawful loaded goods and in case of refusal from transporters they face detention of their vehicle and goods .Detention of transporters means it will not release without paying bribe to Customs Intelligence dishonest staff and it will also create delay in the delivery of their booked consignment.
He told that illegal detention of Customs Intelligence and Investigation staff causes financial loss to transporters and they compelled to pay bribe to Customs Intelligence and Investigation field staff for the clearance of their transport otherwise their vehicles are also seized on non-payment of kickbacks.
Goods Transport Association of Multan received frequent complaints against the illegal behaviour and actions of Customs Intelligence and Investigation field staff especially employed in Sukkur region and they are troubling them for the transportation of their taken consignments. He informed that Superintendent Abdul Razzaq Samejo and Inspector Liaqat Ali of Customs Intelligence are notorious officers who are especially deputed in the Sukkur for collection of bribe from goods transporters and they are also operating their smuggling network in the country for blackmailing transporters.
He revealed that Customs Intelligence and Investigation detained transporter vehicles and imported goods illegally for the sake of re-examination and evaluation for generation of their backhander. This chaotic exercise of Customs Intelligence and Investigation affect badly to goods transporters who are delivering import and export consignment of business community.
He said that transport community of South Punjab is not in position to bear loss of their business through illegal detention and seizure of their trucks and vehicles through Customs Intelligence and Investigation in the Sukkur region. Our drivers and labours are working on daily wages and they could not afford any illegal detention and seizure of their vehicles which will retreat them from daily earning. President Goods Transporter Association Multan has demanded several times from Federal Board of Revenue to take strict action against corrupt officials of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Sukkur for giving them peaceful business situation.
