KARACHI: Custom Court Judge Faiz Rasool Rashdi granted bail to an accused namely as Aziz ur Rehman who was allegedly involved in smuggling of cigarettes’ paper rolls, against surety bonds of Rs 2 million.
During the hearing, the counsel for the applicant/accused submitted that his client is a truck driver and innocent and has falsely been implicated in this case; therefore, the court may grant him bail. However, the counsel for the state opposed bail application.
After the arguments, the court granted bail to the accused person and observed that ” accused is neither owner of the seized goods not beneficiary nor claimed of the seized goods, therefore, the role of the applicant is yet to be determined when the evidence is brought on record during the trial”.
According to the prosecution, the intelligence staff intercepted the vehicle at exit gate of Karachi Export Processing Zone and asked for clearance documents, which driver could not produce. During the investigation it was found that cigarette paper rolls loaded on the truck fall under the category of restricted items under import policy.
According to the FIR, it is clear that M / S Sun Gravure and other accomplices smuggled out dutiable goods by violating the Customs Act, 1969; therefore, FIR was lodged by the authority concerned against the accused persons.
