KARACHI: The Customs Enforcement and the Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation have alleged that Muhammad Zubair Gheewala deliberately filed mis-declaration to avail tax exemptions under FTA regulations.
The First Information Report has been filed by the complainant, Fakhar Ali Shah, Appraising Officer at the Customs Enforcement.
The FIR shows that the accused, from November 2014 to April 2017, filed Good Declarations (GDs) for into-bonding and ex-bonding at the Customs Collectorate, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim and Customs Appraisement (West) and cleared consignment through mis-declaration of origin and undue claim of exemption under FTA.
It also shows that other associates in the crime would be ascertained during the course of investigation. The accused has declared 34 GDs which includes galvanised/electro galvanised and hot rolled/cold rolled steel sheets of secondary and prime quality in coils.
As per the FIR, the total assessed value of 34 GDs was Rs276,867,819/- and description of total duty and taxes paid against FTA includes, customs duty Rs16, 540, 723/-, regulatory duty Rs16, 781, 845/-, sales tax Rs52, 732, 368/- and additional sales tax Rs20,333,940/-, the grand total was Rs107,852,359/-.
The FIR mentioned that the accused claimed declared origin of goods was China but actually origin of goods was Korea and Mexico.
It also mentioned that the foreign supplier and shippers including M/s Doller Steel Co Ltd., and M/s JNB Global Co Ltd., from Korea, M/s Kaixin International Co Ltd., from Hong Kong and M/s Grupo Porteo from Mexico were used for shipment of the goods.
According to the FIR, description of total duty and taxes leviable includes customs duty Rs30, 138, 901/-, regulatory duty Rs17, 925, 516/-, sales tax Rs55, 238, 480/-, additional sales tax Rs1, 959, 493/- and Income Tax Rs21, 323, 420/- while the grand total would be Rs126,585,808/-.
It suggested that total duty and taxes recoverable includes customs duty Rs13, 598, 178/-, regulatory duty Rs1,143,671/-, sales tax Rs2, 506, 112/-, additional sales tax Rs496, 010/- and income tax Rs989,480/- which would be Rs18, 733, 449/- in total.
The Appraising Officer at the Customs Enforcement, Fakhar Ali Shah, who is the Complainant of the case, mentioned in the FIR that Muhammad Siddique of M/s Attari Shipping International and Khalid Pervaiz, Legal/Claims Department, M/s GAC Pakistan private limited are the witnesses in this case.
The FIR shows that the accused have been found guilty for evasion of duty and taxes on import of galvanised/electro galvanised and hot and cold rolled steel sheets imported from Korea and Mexico through fiscal fraud, mis-declaration of origin to claim exemption of duty under Pak-China FTA.
