LAHORE: Allama Iqbal International Airport Air Freight Unit (AFU) customs officials have detected duty and taxes evasion on 60 cartons of culture media, weighting 445 kg.
Culture media is a liquid or gelatinous substance containing nutrients in which microorganisms, cells, or tissues are cultivated for scientific purposes. According to customs authorities Messer Pharm Canada of Lahore, Pakistan, has imported 60 cartons of Indian-made culture media through Master Airways.
The importer allegedly misquoted the prices of the imported culture media as $2,167 at the WEBOC system at the AFU, the customs sources said, adding that the actual price of the culture media is determined as $ 14,188 which becomes $15,090 after adding the freight charges.
The customs officials alleged that the importer has presented a fake invoice of culture media in order to deceive the customs authorities to evade duty and taxes which inflicted Rs 4,49,050 losses to the national exchequer. The customs sources informed that the importer knowingly presented fake invoice to evade duty and taxes violating Customs Act 1969. The Customs authorities apprehended that the importer may also has been involved in duty and taxes evasions in the earlier cleared Goods Declarations.
The Customs Investigation and Prosecution Department has registered an FIR 21/2014 against the accused in this connection and started further investigation to bring to light more facts in the case.
