KARACHI: Collectorate of Customs Appraisement East have unearthed a major fraud involving the clearance of a luxury electric vehicle under the personal baggage scheme using a forged passport and stolen financial documents, according to a First Information Report.
The investigation, detailed in the FIR filed at the Collectorate of Customs Appraisement-East in Karachi, alleges that a clearing agent and an accomplice trafficked the personal documents of a serving Pakistan Army officer to illegally import a used 2019 Mercedes Benz EQC 400 4MATIC.
According to the report, the offense came to light on Aug. 3, 2026, when Major Moed Mustafa petitioned the Collectorate. Mustafa alleged that his passport and Proceeds Realization Certificates (PRCs) had been used to clear the vehicle without his knowledge or consent.
The FIR states that action in the case was initiated after information was passed through Collector Afzal Watto to Additional Collector Rana Aftab. A specialized team was subsequently formed, led by Deputy Collector Hameer Khan, with Senior Preventive Officer Malak Hasham pursuing the investigation.
Customs officials discovered that GD No. KAPE-VB-15575, filed on Sept. 1, 2023, declared the vehicle’s value at just Rs. 151,750 (approximately $500). However, the actual ascertained value of the vehicle is Rs. 13,210,935 (about $43,328).
An examination of the documents revealed glaring discrepancies. While the passport number, name, and national identity card number uploaded for clearance matched the Major’s, the photograph, date of expiry, and an endorsement stamp labeling Mustafa as a “Driver in KSA” were found to be forged. The genuine passport produced by Mustafa contained no such stamp.
The FIR names two primary accused: Ishfaq Hussain, the proprietor of M/s Caprice International, the clearing agent that filed the documents, and Mazhar Iqbal, a resident of Rawalpindi.
In a written statement to the Deputy Collector, Hussain claimed his firm did not deal directly with the passport holder and had obtained the documents through a third party.
Conversely, Iqbal admitted in a written explanation to creating a Facebook page to contact overseas Pakistanis for vehicle imports. He confessed to striking a deal with Major Mustafa for the use of his documents for Rs. 250,000, receiving the originals via courier before selling them to an agent. Officials estimate the misused PRCs are worth approximately Rs. 8.6 million.
Authorities state that the accused knowingly presented a forged passport to support an untrue declaration, violating the Import Policy Order, 2022.
The suspects face charges under Sections 16, 17, 32A(1)(a), 79, 192, and 209 of the Customs Act, 1969, read with allied laws. The FIR was lodged by Senior Preventive Officer Malik Muhammad Hashim, and an in-depth investigation is ongoing to identify other individuals involved.
