LAHORE: Customs Appellate Tribunal disposed of vehicle smuggling case and decided that seized vehicle was brought into the country via unauthorised route and without payment of duties and taxes.
As per details, the seizing agency of Multan intercepted a Toyota Hiace having registration number LSB-7317 and asked the accused, Saif ur Rehman, to produce documents regarding the legal import of the vehicle but he failed to produced lawful document and the vehicle was seized by the department.
The show case notice issued under the relevant law for further hearings where the accused could not prove his stance of legal import on which adjudication issued order for confiscation of the vehicle.
Later, the appellant Saif ur Rehman Nasir filed case in Customs Appellate Tribunal against Customs Appeals Lahore collector, Customs Adjudication deputy collector, deputy collector of Anti-Smuggling Organization Multan, superintendent of anti-smuggling, and seizing officer of ASO Multan.
The appellant argued in case that the order passed by adjudication authority is illegal, improper, adding that registration was not rejected by motor registration authority.
Peshawar High Court also released the said vehicle on fact that the customs authorities have no evidence regarding to prove smuggling.
The respondent department submitted para-wise comments in case and argued that vehicle was sent to Faisalabad and Islamabad to conduct chemical examination of the vehicle where it was found that chassis plate has been tamper with.
After hearing the argument of both parties Custom Appellate Tribunal bench I Member Judicial Ghulam Murtaza Bhatti dispose of case and announced decision in favour of customs.