ISLAMABAD: The Rawalpindi Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation, Federal Board of Revenue, has taken into possession a foreign origin non-duty-paid smuggled Toyota Hilux Surf SSR (G) worth Rs08million.
On a tip-off, staff of the Rawalpindi Directorate of Customs Intelligence signaled the said vehicle to stop but the driver of Toyota Hilux bearing registration No: AFD-558 (ICT-Islamabad) ignored the signal and accelerated the vehicle.
The staff started chasing the said vehicle in an official vehicle No: GT-657. After covering some distance, the driver abandoned the vehicle on the roadside and fled the scene.
Despite hectic efforts, the staff could not trace out the driver of the Toyota Hilux, so the vehicle was taken into possession in the presence of the witnesses. No import record was found in the import data available with the directorate concerned.
Nobody appeared in the Rawalpindi Directorate of Customs Intelligence nor produced any legal import documents of the impounded Toyota Hilux. The vehicle was taken into possession on being non-duty-paid and unclaimed under the Section 17 of the Customs Act-1969 for further verification of its import status or payment of duty and taxes.
The Rawalpindi Directorate of Customs Intelligence has also written a letter to the Excise and Taxation Office and Motor Registration Authority Islamabad for the verification of the registration.
