ISLAMABAD: Directorate General Customs Intelligence & Investigations Rawalpindi has seized the non duty paid smuggled foreign origin cloth worth Rs2.34 million.
According to sources that Directorate General I&I received credible information from the Deputy Director Customs I&I Rawalpindi, that foreign origin cloth would be smuggled from Rawalpindi by a truck bearing registration no.BST-654 to check the veracity of information, a raiding party held a nakabandi at G.T Road Mandra.
The hinted vehicle was sighted coming from Rawalpindi side which was stopped by the raiding party. A detailed search of the vehicle led to the recovery of foreign origin cloth. Sources told to that at the time of occurrence, owner of the cloth identified as Mehboob Ali s/o Abdul Aziz and Muhammad Aslam son of Muhammad Siddique and on demand he failed to produce any evidence documentary or otherwise, showing legal import or lawful possession of the recovered foreign origin cloth.
Therefore, Customs I&I staff had reasons to believe that the recovered cloth had been brought into the country in violation of Section 2(s) & 16 of the Customs Act, 1969, read with Section 3(1) of the Imports & Exports (Control) Act, 1950, the same were, therefore, seized under section 168 of the Customs Act, 1969, after proper documentation on the spot and due service of the notice under section 171 of the Customs Act, 1969, punishable under clauses (89) (90) of Section 156(1) of the Customs Act, 1969, read with 3(3) of the imports and Exports Act, 1950 and further read with SRO 499(1)/2009 dated 13.06.2009.
