FAISALABAD: Collectorate of Customs Adjudication Deputy Collector Asma Hameed ordered to confiscate 30 LED TVs and 230 kilogram of silk cloth while deciding a case registered by customs.
The deputy collector issued Order-in-Original (ONO) in favour of the department after reviewing all evidence presented by the officials in the case.
As per details, the Faisalabad Customs received credible information that a huge quantity of smuggled goods will be transported through bus No LES-1258 from Peshawar to Lahore via motorway. Acting upon the information, the Faisalabad Customs and Custom Intelligence staff established check post near Motorway interchange Sial More and intercepted a bus with the help of motor way police.
The search of the bus was conducted in the presence of driver and recovered foreign origin 21 Sony LED TV, 9 Samsung and 230 kilogram of foreign origin art silk cloth.
The officials asked driver named Ashna Gul to produce documents regarding the legal import of the items but he failed to produce the same. The driver said that the recovered goods were booked for Lahore by different persons and he has not known the whereabouts of the owners of loaded goods.
The officials seized items under Section 168 of the Customs Act, 1969 violation of Section 2 (s) read with SRO -566(1), Section 3 of Sales Tax Act, 1990, Section 148 of Income Tax Ordinance punishable under Section 156(1) 89 of the Custom Act, 1969. Notices were also issued to the owners of goods under Section 171 of the Customs Act.
Later, the case was sent to the adjudication for further legal action. No one appeared to defend the case from the side of respondents, while customs representative, Inspector Asif Hussain asserted the seized LED TVs fell under the ambit of Section 2 (S) of the Customs Act, 1969, adding that the goods could not be redeemed on payment of duty and taxes.
After hearing arguments, the deputy collector issued ONO stating, “hence it is concluded that seized goods had been brought in to the country through an unauthorized route without payment of leviable duty and taxes therefore order for confiscation of seized goods is issued under Section 156(1) 89 of Custom Act, 1969”.
