KARACHI: Customs Collectorate of Appraisement East has submitted first information report (FIR) before the Customs Court against owners/partners of M/s M.I Traders, Muhammad Saleem son of Muhammad Hussain, importer/partner of the firm, Noor Ahmed son of Muhammad Hussain, employee of the firm, Masroor Hussain, proprietor of M/s K.S.K Enterprises, who were booked in a tax evasion case.
On September 19, 2018, Appraising Officer Muhammad Bilal, submitted the FIR and informed that the above-mentioned importers declared their consignment of 78,387.75 kg hazelnut spread (Nutella) valuing at Rs11,080,195 and paid Rs8,849,272 as duty and taxes, however, during the preliminary inquiry, it was revealed actual prices of said goods are Rs 28,264,229 and importers had to pay Rs22,434,974.
He further submitted that during the investigation, it was revealed that the above-mentioned and other associates all have deliberately fiscal fraud as defined under Section 32-A of the Customs Act, 1969, further they have deliberately mis-declared C&F value of the impugned goods in their goods declaration and evaded precious government revenue to the tune of Rs13,585,702, hence, the accused persons have committed crime of evasion of duties and taxes through mis-declaration of value by submitting fake and forget documents showing under invoiced/suppressed transaction value of the goods in terms of Section 32-A, 79 & 192 of the Customs Act, 1969 punishable under Clauses 14-A, 46 & 86 of Section 156(i) of the Customs Act, 1969 read with allied laws.
He further argued that efforts are being made for apprehension of all the culprits involved in commission of under reference crime. After the hearing, court took the FIR into the court record and directed investigation officer to complete investigation and submit charge-sheet within prescribed period.
