KARACHI: Abdul Moiz Majeed Bawany approached the Customs Court for pre-arrest bail, who was booked in a case of attempting to smuggle non-duty paid 25000 kgs betel nuts and evaded the duty and taxes in the tune of Rs. 3,532,550.
During the hearing, counsel for the accused submitted that as per the FIR, on information that M/s Al-Noor Enterprises Lahore would smuggle a consignment of betel nuts while being transhipped from Karachi to Lahore and replace the betel nuts with the goods falsely declared in the TP goods declaration, surveillance was mounted and the consignment was selected for examination and the container was found to contain 25 metric tons of betel nuts.
Enquiry reveals that the importer has violated the relevant provisions of the import policy order and attempted to clear the betel nuts through mis-declaration and the same was accordingly seized.
He argued that accused having not been nominated in the FIR, he neither importer nor clearing agent in respect of the subject consignment in bound to be implicated case, albeit falsely and maliciously. He further argued that customs officials harassing the applicant and threatened him to arrest in this case.
Citing the State through R&D Wing, Customs Collectorate of Appraisement-East Customs House Karachi as respondents, he pleaded the court to grant him bail and restrain customs officials from arrest and harassment.
