KARACHI: Customs Court Judge Syed Faiz Rasool Rashdi has granted the pre-arrest bail to Faraz Ahmed, who allegedly attempted to export 508 black spotted turtles illegally to Malaysia.
During the hearing, the counsel for the accused/ applicant submitted that applicant was innocent and was falsely implicated in this case and that he is ready to face trail. However, he has apprehension of arrest, therefore, the court may grant him pre-arrest bail.
However, the special public prosecutor argued that prosecution has sufficient evidences against the accused who was smuggling turtles which most of them became dead during illegal export. Therefore, accused person is not entitled to any relief and court may reject his bail application.
After the arguments from both sides, court granted pre-arrest bail to accused against the surety bonds of Rs200,000.
It needs to be pertinent here that court had rejected the bail applications of the accused persons namely Tauseef Ahmed Siddiqui owner of M/s SARAS International and Abdul Hameed of M/s Al Hameed Enterprises, Karachi.
Earlier, investigation officer Farhat Ullah Jafri submitted challan and informed the customs court that the staff of the Directorate General, Intelligence & Investigation – FBR ( Customs Enforcement ) Karachi, has lodged FIR no 36/2016 dated August 16, 2016 against accused Abdul Hameed of M/s Al Hameed Enterprises, Karachi Tuseef Ahmed Siddiqui owner of M/s SARAS International and others, who have been found involved in the smuggling and illegal export of 508 Black Spotted Turtles, Shipped to Klang Selangor, Malaysia vide good declaration dated 2504/2016 filed through M/s SARAS International, Karachi under the garb of export of 29 M Tones of fresh potatoes of Pakistan origin.
Investigation said that during the investigation it transpired that the consignment terminal through Green Channel of computerized system on declaration without physical examination and assessment through MCC, export, customs house, Karachi. Accused Tauseef Ahmed Siddiqui owner of M/s SARAS International, who played vital role in the commission of offence has been arrested on August 22, 2016.
He further revealed that during the smuggling and shipment 483 Black Spotted Turtles (Geoclemys Hamiltonii) expired and only 25 remaining are alive. Valuing $250/- and total valuing Rs13.2 million.
Names of Muhammad Samad Hussain Khan, Assistant Secretary (wildlife) Ministry of Climate Change and Imtiaz Ali were mentioned in the challan as witnesses.
