LAHORE: Collectorate of Customs Appraisement East detected major transshipment fraud and registered a first information report (FIR) after a probe revealed the alleged replacement of a bonded container and its cargo during transit from Port Qasim to Lahore.
According to the FIR No. 03/2026, a consignment containing printed paper rolls and sheets was dispatched from Port Qasim, Karachi, to the Railway Dry Port in Mughalpura, Lahore, under bond via the bonded carrier M/s Pak Shaheen Cargo Services (Pvt) Ltd. The goods were declared on a Transshipment Goods Declaration (GD) KPPI-TP-9437 dated August 10, 2026.
However, upon arrival on Aug. 27, 2026, customs officials noticed glaring anomalies. The container, numbered BFCU9035282, had been freshly painted, and its identification numbers were improperly aligned.
A joint examination conducted on October 12, 2026, involving the Collectorate, the Directorate of Transit Trade, and the Punjab Forensic Science Authority (PFSA), found a 630-kilogram weight discrepancy. The transport note recorded a weight of 25,550 kilograms, while the container weighed 26,180 kilograms at Mughalpura.
Moreover, comparison of X-ray scans obtained at Port Mohammad Bin Qasim and NLC Dry Port, Lahore, revealed completely different cargo profiles and the Karachi scan showed goods packed in cartons, uniformly stacked to the roof, the Lahore scan displayed an uneven and irregular arrangement.
A photograph of the container taken at Port Qasim and received via WhatsApp further exposed material differences, including the condition of the container number paintwork, rust marks, and a tampered CSC safety approval plate.
Two seals Customs CCSU Bolt Seal No. 3661077 and shipper seal No. 4404970 were removed during the joint examination and sent to the PFSA for forensic analysis. Their report is awaited.
The FIR alleges that the owners and directors of M/s Kaybee International, clearing agent Muhammad Ibrahim of EQA Corporation, Muhammad Abdullah of Pak Shaheen Bonded Cargo, NLC Smart Solutions (Pvt) Ltd, vehicle owner Shabir Hussain Awan, driver Muhammad Nadeem, and Mirza Muhtashim, in connivance with unknown persons, willfully substituted the container and its cargo to evade customs duty and taxes. The accused have been booked under Sections 32, 32A, 79, and 121 of the Customs Act, 1969.
It is pertinent to mention here that this is the third FIR in a series of investigations, with the first two FIRs having laid the groundwork for this breakthrough.
The cases have now exposed the tall claims of the Customs top brass and private tracker companies that transshipment consignments were fully secured.
The PFSA report on the seals will be made part of the investigation record. Further investigations are underway to identify the actual perpetrators and trace the substituted goods.
