KARACHI: The Customs Court has sent two suspects namely Ahmed Mirza, head (CSD) M/s AICT and Mehdi Sherwani, Manager (CSF-Shed) M/s AICT to jail on judicial remand and directed the investigation officer to submit a charge sheet against them. The suspects were booked in three mega tax evasion cases.
During the hearing, the investigation officer of Collectorate of Customs Appraisement West produced the suspects before the court and submitted that customs officials approached to M/s AL-Hamd International Container Terminal, Karachi, where the containers were landed.
During the physical examination they recovered mobile phones, tables and batteries, authenticating the information earlier received by the authorities and corroborated further information that once the information regarding the blocking of the consignments are revealed, the importers would try to file either a misdirected goods claim or will try to replace the pallets with similar packing pallets to be imported or replaced by some other method in connivance with the AICT staff.
The investigation officer informed the court that the accused imported mobile phones, tablets and batteries in the garb of pallets disperse dyes code of goods 3204.11 and 4 pallets refrigerator parts code of goods 8418.99 and others goods. He argued that duties and taxes involved in the scam are in millions of rupees.
A case was registered against owner/ partner of M/s Arham & Co, Lahore, Ahmed Mirza Head (CSD) M/s AICT, Mehdi Sherwani, Manager (CSF-Shed) M/s AICT, Muhammad Hasan, Operation Manager, M/s Allied Xpert Logistics and others to be ascertained during the investigation for violation of 2 (s), 16, 32, 43 to 45, 138, 155D, 155E, 155H, 1551 and 178 of the Customs Act, 1969, read with SRO 566 (1)/ 2005 dated 06/06/2005 and section 3 (1) of the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1950 punishable under clauses 8, 9, 14, 100 & 101 of section 156 (1) of the Customs Act, 1969, read with section 3 (3) of the sales tax act, 1990 and section 148 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2000, further read with appendix-B of import policy order.
