ISLAMABAD: A single bench of the Customs Appellate Tribunal has imposed a fine on vehicle owner equal to 20 percent of the smuggled goods’ value.
Hearing a smuggling case, a division bench of the Customs Appellate Tribunal comprising Technical Member Muhammad Maqsood ul Hassan disposed of the appeal seeking release of vehicle (passenger bus) with a penalty and warning.
With imposition of penalty of Rs 92,000, the tribunal directed the Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation (DGI&I), Islamabad to release bus, which it had confiscated for being used for smuggling the parts of machinery not allowed to bring in without prior permission of department. The intelligence had estimated the smuggled items at Rs 460,000.
Abdul Jabbar, owner of the vehicle, had approached the tribunal asking the judge to set aside decision made by the Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation (DGI&I), Islamabad.
Meanwhile, the tribunal issued the appellant a strict warning if his vehicle were used again in unlawful act.
It is pertinent to mention that Jabbar had earlier also contested a similar case because of his vehicle’s usage in a smuggling episode.
