KARACHI: The Customs Collectorate of Appraisement East has filed First Information Report (FIR) against Faisal Abbas, the owner of M/s Shafi Traders (NTN 2658581-8) located at House No 30, Punjab Cloth Market, Shah Muhammad Ghous, Lahore and directors/involved persons of M/s United Marine Agencies (Private) Limited for deliberately submitting misleading information regarding false bills of shipment.
Malik Muhammad Hashim, Preventive Officer, Appraisement East, Customs House, Karachi, after filing the FIR, had started investigation of the matter. The office of M/s United Marine Agencies (Private) Limited is situated at 8th Floor, Bahria Complex-IV, Main Choudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Road, Gizri, Clifton, Karachi.
According to FIR, Faisal Abbas, imported two consignments of weather strip, wool pile weather strip (brush sealing strip) in rolls and weather strip silicate pile (made of high quality woven polypropylene yarn).
Hashim mentioned that an information in this regard was shared by the Customs Appraisement West Karachi, after which the Appraiseent East has started the investigation and learnt that M/s United Marine Agencies (Private) Limited, Karachi, has committed fraud by issuing fake bills of landing in place of the original ones.
He further said that during investigations it was observed that freight forwarders/co-loader/shipping agent M/s United Marine Agencies (Private) Limited, Karachi, in connivance with the accused importer, have been involved in the clearance of goods by wrongfully declaring the vital information with regard to the shipper’s name, port of loading and the country of origin.
He added that goods were actually shipped from Singapore through M/s Hanjin Shipping Lines whose master shipping agent was M/s United Marine Agencies (Private) Limited.
However, he mentioned that M/s United Marine Agencies (Private) Limited in connivance with the importer electronically fed incorrect information and manipulated Bill of Landing.
According to him, the accused while filing the Import General Manifest (IGM) in WeBOC fraudulently manipulated the shipper’s name as well. The ulterior motive in submitting false and misleading information, was to avail inadmissible concession of Pak-China FTA regime under SRO 659(I)/2007 to the extent of Rs41,834/-.
