KARACHI: The Customs Court has granted interim pre-arrest bail to suspects, Muhammad Javed, Muhammad Shahid, Muhammad Arif and others, who were booked for smuggling 612,032 kilogram betel (Areca) nuts worth Rs 1.5 billion.
During the hearing, counsels for the suspects filed bail petitions and argued that they were falsely implicated in this case and they were ready to face trail, however, they had apprehension of arrest, therefore, the court might grant them bail till the final decision in this case.
After hearing the arguments, the court granted them bail against the surety bonds of Rs 200,000 each and issued notices to the Customs Department for the next date of hearing.
It needs to be mentioned here that earlier, suspects namely Khalid Ahmed, Proprietor of M/s Anees & Sons, Farhan Ahmed, Proprietor of M/s Farhan Impex, Ghulam Mehdi Nayani, Arif Shahban were also granted pre-arrest bail in the same case.
According to the First Information Report against the suspects, a team of the Customs Department raided a private godown namely Arbaz Godown situated at plot no A-41 near, police station, SITE Karachi and recovered 8,536 bags weighing 612,032 kilogram smuggled/ non-duty paid foreign origin betel (Areca) nuts of poor quality, infested and unfit for human consumption worth Rs 1.5 billion.
He informed the court that case was registered against Adnan, proprietor of M/s ABR Enterprise, Khalid Ahmed, Proprietor of M/s Anees & Sons, Farhan Ahmed, Proprietor of M/s Farhan Impex, Abdul Ghani Ronjah, Proprietor of M/s Kiran Food Products, Farheen Irfan, Proprietor of M/s Rohain Corporation, Ghulam Mehdi Nayani, Arif Shahban, Mansoor Ahmed Proprietor of M/s Dilwala & Company and others to be ascertained during the investigation.
He said that during the investigation, it was revealed that above mentioned suspects in connivance and collusion with each other and their other representatives, associates-in-crime have managed to store huge quantities of smuggled non duty paid foreign origin betel nuts unfit for human consumption in the private godown under the cover of import documents for illegal disposal of the same in local market have individually and collectively violated the import policy.
He submitted that further investigations are in progress, efforts are underway to arrest accused persons. The role of representatives/ dealing persons and others associates in crime will be determined/ ascertained further during the investigation of the case.
After hearing the arguments court had taken on record the FIR, and directing him to arrest the suspects and submit charge sheet against above mentioned suspects on next date of hearing.
