FAISALABAD: Collectorate, Customs Adjudication, Deputy Collector Saima Ayaz ordered the seizure of groundnuts weighed14500kg under the customs bylaws besides giving an option to redeem the item on the payment of duty and taxes.
Deputy Collector Saima Ayaz issued an Order-in-Original (ONO) No: 101/2018 while hearing a case against M Yasir and Faiz Muhammad detected by Mianwali Customs Anti-Smuggling Organization ASO on a tip-off regarding the smuggling of groundnuts through a Mazda mini truck. The customs staff intercepted the truck near M.M Alam Road, Mianwali, coming from Lahore.
Prior to the recovery of the item, the officials asked the trucker to show documents regarding the legal import of the article, but he failed to produce the same. So the officials confiscated the item under Section 17 of the Custom Act-1969 read with Section 2(s) and sent the case to the adjudication.
Two persons named M Yasir and Faiz Muhammad appeared in the office and claimed the ownership of the retrieved foreign origin item. They also submitted an affidavit separately showing their willingness to pay the duty and taxes.
The customs representative said that the seized item found was brought into Pakistan illegally by evading the duty and taxes. Therefore the adjudication authority confiscated the item under Section 156 (1) 89 of the Custom Act-1969.
Keeping in view the willingness of the owner, the adjudication authority said an option is given to the lawful owners under Section 181 of the Custom Act-1969 read with SRO 449 (1) to redeem their respective impounded article in lieu of the confiscation on the payment of duty and taxes.
