KARACHI: Customs Court Judge Syed Faiz Rasool Rashdi has accepted interim challan of suspects, Adnan Ashraf and Muhammad Junaid, who were booked in a case of smuggled/ non-duty paid contraband mobile phones, tablets, LED TVs, satellite dish receivers etc and evaded duty and taxes to the tune of Rs 53,548,797.
During the hearing, the investigation officer submitted charge sheet against the suspects and informed that officials of the Anti-Smuggling Organization intercepted Shahzore mini truck and Honda Vezel Pilot near open yard located at off Mai Kolachi Road Karachi and recovered 14,493 smuggled/ non-duty paid mobile phones worth Rs 144,930,000, at least 2,282 tablets worth Rs 13,692,000, around 76 LED TVs worth Rs 1,140,000, about 1,708 satellite dish receivers worth Rs 3,416,000, at least 81,600 paint markers worth Rs 816,000, around 970 mobile phones without LCDs worth Rs 1,940,000, at least 1,549 mobile accessories worth Rs 20,000, about 32,000 needles worth Rs 32,000, 77 TV boards worth Rs 77,000 and 9,600 DVD-R worth Rs 96,000, total worth Rs 166,159,000.
He further informed the court that during the investigation, it transpired that bonded carrier, M/s Saifur Rahman & Brothers, was solely responsible for the transshipment of the consignment. He said that the accused and others associates in crime adopted a novel modus operandi and smuggled foreign origin contraband goods under the garb of computer parts which were illegally removed from te container while en-route to Sambrial Dry Port for disposal in local market.
Court also directed investigation officer to produce them on next date of hearing along with progress report.
Therefore, Directorate General Intelligence & Investigation-FBR Regional Office Karachi lodged First Information Report (FIR) against partners/ director/ proprietor of M/s Saifur Rahman & Brothers, Zeeshan Afzal of M/s K.K Metal Industries, Adnan son of Muhammad Ashraf and Muhammad Junaid son of Abdul Razzaq and others.
