KARACHI: The Model Customs Collectorate MCC Preventive has issued show-cause notices to 12 shipping agents for their alleged involvement in violation of age limit for importation of cars prescribed vide SRO1441(I)/2012.
According to details, the authorities concerned of MCC Preventive while following the directives of FTO has served show-cause notices to 12 shipping agents in which they demanded relevant documents including Bill of Lading (B/L), IGM and Master Bill of Lading (M/L) from the shipping agents in order to check the authenticity of the aforementioned documents.
The sources informed Customs Today that the authorities concerned of MCC Preventive after issuance of show-cause notices to the shipping agents are now investigating the authenticity of the documents provided by shipping agents in importation of out of age-limit cars. “The documents of 10 out of 12 shipping agents have been received in the law department of MCC Preventive while scrutiny of the provided documents is being continued which will takes at least 15 to 20days”, sources added.
To a query, the sources ruled out the involvement of shipping agents into Vehicles Amnesty Scheme (VAS) scam and adding that the shipping agents have limited role in importation of vehicles while clearing agents have a major role in this regard. Model Customs Collectorate MCC Appraisement-West has already issued show-cause notices against 37 clearing agents in their alleged involvement in infringement of age limit for importation of cars prescribed vide SRO 1441(I)/2012 and violated the provision of Section 208 and 209 of Customs Act, 1969, read with Rule 101 and 102 of the Customs Rules, 2001.
The show-cause notices were issued from the Office of the Additional Collector (ADC)-I of Customs, Licensing Authority Appraisement-West. In the show-cause notices, it was also alleged that the dates mentioned on Bill of Lading (BoL) were not correct as the actual dates of Master Bills of Lading were quite different. The investigation conducted by the Honorable FTO revealed that the clearing agents have manipulated the dates of bills of lading to get the reduction in age limit, within the parameters prescribed in SRO 1441(I)/2012, which otherwise was not available to those cars.
The Honorable FTO in his findings in FTO Review Petition No. 48/2013 in Complaint No 17/KPK/CUS(03)/497/2013 vide order has recommended that “The FBR to fix responsibility of clearing agents and shipping agents for manipulating the dates of B/Ls after providing them opportunity of explaining their conduct in this case”.
The authorities concerned of MCC Appraisement-West have already conducted the hearings into the case and continued their investigation into the said case.
