KARACHI: A Customs Appellate Tribunal has cancelled the order-in-original (ONO) of the customs adjudication which holds customs clearing agents responsible for stealing of goods consigned by the National Logistics Company (NLC) under the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT).
As per details the additional collector of adjudication at Port Qasim, Karachi, has passed an ONO imposing Rs 250,000 penalty on clearing agents, along with one fourth reported evaded amount of goods.
The tribunal’s judgement has decided over 75 appeals directed against the ONO dated June 29, 2013. The clearing agents were also asked to bear one-fourth of the alleged evaded amount.
The tribunal observed that neither side denied that all the licensed customs house agents were clearing goods relating to their Afghan clients. The ATT consignments were put on the containers in presence of the customs authorities and checked by them. After sealing of containers, cargos were lifted by the NLC for safe transit of goods.
The tribunal observed that the agents were responsible for loading at the port until the cargo was checked by the customs authorities and containers were sealed. Therefore, when cargo left the port, transit service is responsible for any loss.
The tribunal found no evidence in the record that shows any involvement of agents in pilfering or smuggling of impugned goods and set aside the order-in-original
