KARACHI: Customs Court Judge Syed Faiz Rasool Rashdi on Tuesday granted interim pre-arrest bail to suspect, Muhammad Shoaib Arshad, owner of M/s City Steel UAE Mills (Private) Limited. Arshad was booked for trying to clear betel nuts in the garb of waste and cast iron scrap.
During the hearing, the suspect appeared before the court along with his counsel who argued that his client was falsely implicated in this case, who is ready to face trail, however, he had apprehension of arrest, therefor, the court might grant him bail. After hearing the arguments, the court granted him bail against surety bonds of Rs 200,000 and issued notices to the Customs Department and special prosecutor to file their comments on the next date of hearing.
On the last date of hearing, the investigation officer of Anti-Smuggling Organization had submitted the first information report (FIR) before the customs court against suspects namely Muhammad Shoaib Arshad, owner of M/s City Steel UAE Mills Private Limited, Muhammad Arshad, owner of M/s A.F Enterprises, Muhammad Tariq, Sohrab Khan, Amjad Khan and others to be ascertained during the course of investigation. According to the FIR, a team of Anti-Smuggling Organisation found two containers near Shan Chowrangi, Korani Road, Karachi which were stopped and divers were told to show documents of 14 containers, including the two containers, which were cleared from Customs Collectorate Port Qasim.
The Investigation officer further informed the court that during the search, officials of the customs department recovered gunny gags containing betel nuts total weight 80025 kilograms (gross) valuing to Rs200,062,500 from six seized containers.
He said that during the investigation, is has been established beyond any iota of doubt that said suspects in collusion with other accomplices in crime have indulged smuggling of above mentioned contraband betel nuts under the garb of waste and scrap of iron and cleared the same under HS Code 7204.4100. Hence they have, individually and collectively violated the provisions of section customs laws.
He further informed the court that case was registered against the above mentioned suspects and investigation of the case is in progress to unearth the all sinister elements involved in this crime.
After the hearing, court has taken FIR into court record and directed investigation officer to complete investigation including arrest of suspects and file progress report on next date of hearing.
