ISLAMABAD: Collector Adjudication Shahnaz Maqbool has said that prosecution of cases remains weak as the executive Customs Collectorates tend to keep adjudication proceedings on a low priority, adding that the operational Customs staff is untrained in laws, rules, procedures, concessionary schemes and tariff classification while anti smuggling activities are being conducted in unprofessional manner creating lacunas which result in improper defense at the time of Adjudication.
During an exclusive interview with Customs Today, the Collector Adjudication said that the Collectorate of Adjudication has suggested to the Model Customs Collectorates not to release smuggled goods into the market through auctions as it defeats the very purpose of their seizures and confiscation for violation of the import policy and illegal import into the country whereas the Collectorate of Adjudication has finalized orders for recovery of Rs 104 million detected in audits and miss-declaration.
She said that during the first quarter (July to September) 2019-20, the Collectorate adjudicated cases involving revenue worth Rs 1.534 billion while in the same corresponding period it adjudicated cases worth Rs 879 millions, adding that in this financial year 2019-20, the Collectorate has been extremely short of working strength with one Collector, one Additional Collector and two deputy Collectors while during last year 3 Additional Collectors, 3 Deputy Collectors and 2 superintendents were posted in the Collectorate.
Shahnaz Maqbool told that from February 2019 at the Collector level, cases involving more than Rs 2 billion in revenue were decided while foreign currency worth Rs 347 million including 58 non-duty paid vehicles with value including duty/taxes amounting Rs 538 million were confiscated, adding that Adjudication orders were passed for confiscation of gold imported in violation of SRO 266(1)/2001 and recovery of revenue of Rs 668 million from the evaders.
The Collectorate is effectively supporting the anti-smuggling drive of the FBR (Federal Board of Revenue) by tightening the noose around smugglers and tax evaders by strict enforcement of legal provision. These measures include confiscating items which have been brought through unauthorized routes and in violation of the import/export policies. The Collector Adjudication added that in this regard smuggled goods worth Rs 390 million were confiscated outright. She notified that there were cases of release of these items against redemption fine last year.
Collector concluded that it is imported to mention that the Collectorate is divided over two geographical locations, the headquarter is based in Islamabad, it receives cases from MCC (model customs Collectorate) Islamabad, MCC GB (Gilgit Baltistan), Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation Peshawar and Frontier Crops.
