KARACHI: A few customs officials at Port Qasim have turned a blind eye on clearance of banned and non-certified goods worth billions of rupees through green channel by declaring as scrap.
Customs Today reported extensively on misuse of green channel facility and unearthed the scam in which a number of containers of betul nuts, acetic anhydride and iron-steel were being cleared through green channel. After so much coverage by Customs Today, Customs Preventive and Intelligence launched raids on green channel ‘smugglers’ and seized a number of containers cleared through green channel which shows to what extent this green channel smuggling is being carried out with the support of a few senior customs officers at Port Qasim.
Customs Today reported on 14 February about another scam of clearance of illegal/banned goods by declaring as scrap through green channel, Customs Intelligence raided a godown on 16 February and seized containers of steel and iron scrap.
Customs Preventive raided different godowns and seized 6 containers of betel nuts cleared under HS Code 7204.4100 through green channel. 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 booked in a betel nuts smuggling case which they had imported in the garb of waste and cast iron scrap.
According to the FIR No ASO-58/2018 lodged on 21 February, an ASO team found two containers near Shan Chowrangi, Korani Road, Karachi, which were stopped. The drivers presented the documents of 14 containers, including these two containers, which were cleared from MCC Port Qasim. During the search, the customs officials recovered 80,025 kilogram betel nuts worth Rs 200 million.
It was established beyond doubt that the suspects were involved in smuggling of the contraband betel nuts under the garb of waste and scrap of iron. They got the betel nuts cleared under HS Code 7204.4100. Hence they have, individually and collectively, violated the customs laws.
Sources said huge scam of green channel smuggling could not be carried out without the help of the customs officials so their names should also be mentioned in the FIR report.
A few Customs officials at Port Qasim involved in clearance of restricted goods through green channel made a plan to save themselves from this scam. For this purpose they started separate investigation of the issue and lodged another FIR no SI/MISC/03/2018/PQ-CIU on 21 Feb in the case to save the skin of the customs officials involved especially ADC Yasin Murtaza. As per FIR, Customs team raided a godown belonging to Imran Ameen where containers of betel nuts were off-loaded but during the raid, they could not find anything there.
FIR of Port Qasim lodged on the same smuggled goods that Preventive had already caught and registered FIR. The 6 containers containing GD number KPPI- HC – 62268 is same as already caught by Preventive.
This second FIR for the same instance at the behest of ADC Yasin Murtaza of Port Qasim is an attempt to weaken the first FIR of preventive and an open attempt to keep the accused away from Preventive so that the accused do not give away the names of gang of green channel.
This second FIR is an attempt by Port Qasim to jump into the investigations of the case and tamper evidences and influence witnesses.
Customs Today had reported earlier that ADC Yasin Murtaza, under a plan, was keeping entire staff & place busy with futile re-examinations and re-assessments of genuine importers so that his accomplices from the green channel smugglers get a good chance to smuggle goods without examination in green channel. This is giving rise to huge smuggling through green channel.
Legal importers have demanded that NAB and FIA take up such green channel smuggling cases of ADC Yasin Murtaza, Port Qasim so that such customs officials who are the true protectors and beneficiaries are caught once and for all.
