KARACHI: Customs Collectorate of Appraisement East Saleem Khan has registered First Information Report (FIR) against Muhammad Rehman Khan, proprietor of M/s Khan Traders, Karachi, and Muhammad Rafiq, Incharge of WeBOC Collection Counter, OG-II, National Bank of Pakistan, Customs House Branch, Karachi and others.
The suspects are allegedly involved in illegal removal of a pay-order worth Rs 2,500,000 from the securities section of the collectorate. The complainant, Muhammad Saleem Khan, Appraising Officer at Research and Development Section, Appraisement East, Customs House, Karachi has filed the FIR.
According to the report, information was received that a pay-order had been removed from the securities section of the collectorate and was deposited in the personal accounts of an un-authorized importer. The pay-order number CDR PMK993521 was issued on December 14, 2016 by Bank Alfalah, Paper Market branch on account of M/s Elahi Traders (NTN 1507198), an authorized importer, and was illegally deposited into the personal accounts of Khan Traders (NTN 4160783-0).
The complainant mentioned that Muhammad Rafiq was actively involved in the illegal depositing of the pay-order. “At the time of deposit of the funds into the personal accounts by the NBP, the WeBOC system requires NTN number of the personal account holder, in which the funds are to be deposited. After entering NTN number by the bank official, the WeBOC system displays the name of the account holder. It is responsibility of NBP official to check the account holder’s name displayed by the WeBO system and the name of the authorized importer on the pay-order.”
Saleem Khan revealed that only, if both names are matched, the pay-order should be accepted for the deposit otherwise it is not allowed. He claimed that Muhammad Rafiq entered the NTN number of Muhammad Rehman Khan despite the fact that the pay-order was in the name of M/s Elahi Traders.
According to the prosecution, the co-accused Muhammad Rafiq submitted false information into WeBOC system electronically in order to defraud the government from its legitimate asset and committed a fiscal fraud as defined under Sections 32A of the Customs Act, 1969, punishable under clause 14A of Section 156(1) of the Customs Act, 1969.
