ISLAMABAD: Deputy Collector Customs Adjudication Kokab Farooq has passed the order in original (ONO) No 217 of 2014 against Amanullah Khan r/o Upper Dir and Amjad r/o Charsadda, in the seizure case of foreign origin black tea.
In the ONO, she released the 1,050 kg black tea against redemption fine of 30% of the customs appraised value in addition to leviable duty/taxes.
According to details, it was reported that the Superintendent Customs Preventive received information that foreign origin black tea would be smuggled from Peshawar by a Suzuki pick-up. To check the veracity of this information, a raiding party set up a barricade at Burhan Motorway. The pick-up was stopped and in detail search led to recovery of 1,050 kg black tea.
Prior to issuance of show cause notice, the respondent submitted an application and said the tea was bought from the open market of Peshawar and at the time of purchase it was not in their knowledge that it was illegal. He is willing to pay taxes/duty leviable thereon. The owner of the seized vehicle is a poor man and the vehicle may kindly be released on fine.
Dr Kokab said in her order that the respondent in the written as well as oral submission expressed willingness to pay the duty and taxes which was tantamount to plain confession that the seized black tea was brought into Pakistan without duty and taxes. It is also a fact that the customs appraised value of the goods was Rs 267,750 and was claimed by 2 nominees is less than statutory threshold of Rs 150,000, so that in the instant case Section 2(S) (ii) of the Customs Act 1969 is not attracted.
“I therefore order release the black tea redemption fine of the customs appraised value and redeem the aforementioned offending vehicle to its lawful owner against a penalty of Rs 25,000.”
