KARACHI: Officials of the Directorate General of Customs intelligence and Investigation (I&I) have reportedly been found involved in replacing of the Betel Nuts with Date Seeds at State Ware House situated at SITE.
According to the details, an FIR has been lodged against the illegal removal and replacement of the seized Betel Nuts liable to confiscation accused Mehmood Akbar IO of the Warehouse played significant role and while receiving / depositing Betel Nuts from the seizing officers has deliberately failed to discharge his duties.
Accused Mehmood Akbar IO of the Warehouse was also involved in the illegal removal of more than eighty eight millions tons of seized Betel Nuts from the warehouse and concealing one hundred and eighty bags of the date seeds from audit committee pertaining to case No. M-2579/DCI/seize/2019.
During the investigation conducted so far and record, it surfaced that the accused Mehmood Akbar IO Warehouse has been found involved in the illegal removal of warehouse seized Betel Nuts weighting 88,353 kilograms coupled with 2000 kilograms of date seeds soup nuts, wooden off cuts.
It was also stated that the accused Pervaiz Ahmed who is also an Intelligence / seizing officer is involved in the replacement of 180 bags of the seized Betel Nuts weighting 5,650 kilograms with 180 bags of the date seeds weighting 5,650 kilograms violating the provision of section 169(1), 156(1) (81) and (82) of the Customs Act, 1969. Further investigations are underway to ascertain the other associates in the crime.
It is pertinent to mention here that with regards to the action against betel nuts smuggling the Customs Preventive Anti Smuggling Organization (ASO) has been very active and has busted several tons of contraband item on the other hand the Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) has not been able to show suitable performance during last three months.
