KARACHI: Model Customs Collectorate Appraisement West has foiled an attempt to clear electronic items worth Rs 440m from Al-Hamd International Container Terminal (AICT).
Sources told Customs Today that mobile phones, tablets and batteries were imported against three bills of ladings in the garb of refrigerator parts, dyes and garments.
The team of the Appraisement West received information that M/s Rana Enterprises, Arham and Company and Zuantyqan Impex will try to clear mobile phones from the port by mis-declaring the description.
The customs team informed that an estimated value of the goods is more than Rs 440 million involving duties and taxes of Rs 104 million. The offending goods are seized under section 168 of the Customs Act, 1969.
An investigation had been launched on the directions of the Collector Customs Collectorate Appraisement West Karachi which revealed that as against declaration of 13 pallets of refrigerator parts, dyes and garments on the BLs, the imported goods were consisted of 28,000 mobile phones of various American, Korean as well as Chinese brands like Motorola, LG, Samsung etc, at least 2,700 tablets and 16,500 mobile batteries.
The case is believed to be a part of a larger racket of fraudsters who have caused colossal loss to public exchequer by importing and clearing mobile phones in the garb of other goods. In the last few months many such consignments have been seized by the customs department in Karachi, Lahore and Multan.
Further investigation into the scam is still in progress, and the Customs Collectorate Appraisement West Karachi is confident of catching all the facilitators as well as the beneficiaries of the heinous crime.
