LAHORE: The Collectorate of Customs Preventive Ant-Smuggling Organization (ASO) on Tuesday impounded 2310 Nokia non- customs paid (NPD) mobile handsets of various types worth millions of rupees.
Sources told Customs Today that the Customs Intelligence and Investigations (I&I) has lodged FIR after arresting two suspects who were carrying the mobile phones from Rawalpindi to Lahore.
Sources said that on the information of Deputy Collector of customs ASO Moazzam Raza, Customs ASO team consisting of superintendent Nasir Minhas, Inspector Muhammad Aslam Chudhary and others intercepted a van fully loaded with Nokia mobile near Hall Road. The sources said that the quantity of the mobile is valued at Rs 8 million.
The sources said that the Customs ASO demanded legal clearance documents from the owners but they failed to produce anything against the heavy quantity of the non duty paid mobiles.
Finally, the Customs authorities, on the directions of collector of collector of Customs Preventive Zulfikar Chaudhary, seized the phones. The Customs I&I after lodging FIR has arrested the two accused persons and started further investigations.
Another sources said that the mobiles were to be supplied to some traders on the Hall Road. However, the ASO customs authorities successfully foiled the bid and saved the national exchequer from millions of rupees duty and tax evasion. The sources said that I&I has started further investigations into the case.
It was said that the accused persons nominated in the FIR would be produced before the customs judge where the customs officials would seek remands for further investigations.
