KARACHI: The Customs Court granted pre-arrest bail to absconding suspect namely Muhammad Faheem, who was booked in a case of attempting to smuggle non duty paid 54,180 kilograms betel nuts smuggling case.
On November 06, 2018, during the hearing, counsel for the accused argued that his client is innocent and falsely implicated in this case who is ready to face trail, he further argued that customs court issued non-bail able warrants therefore, court may grant his pre-arrest bail.
After the hearing, court granted his pre-arrest bail against the surety of Rs5,00,000 and directed him to join investigations when if required by investigation officer
According to the interim challan on information that two containers arrived from Jabel Ali UAE in the name of importer/ consignee M/s Sun Gravure are lying at Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) stuffed with betel nuts instead of plastic film rolls declared in the respective import documents.
He submitted that during the raid of the same place, a team of Customs Preventive recovered 54,180 kilogram betel nuts and during the investigation, it was established that accused Muhammad Shafique Ahmed Qureshi, owner of M/s Sun Gravure, Khalid Ahmed, co-owner of M/s Sun Gravure, Abdul Moin Majeed Bawany, Muhammad Abbas Hashmi, Muhammad Kamran, Muhammad Faheem, Umair and others have thus committed an offence under violation of Section 2 (s) 16, 32 156 (2) and 178 of Customs Act, 1969 punishable under Clause (8) (9) (14) and 89 of Section 156 (i) ibid read with Section 3(1) of Imports & Export Control Act, 1950 and Import Policy Order 2016.
He said that since the investigation of the case is continuing and effort are under way to trace out &arrest the absconding accused persons involved in the scam, therefore, it is requested that further time may kindly be granted in terms of section 344 Cr PC.
