KARACHI: The Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I)-FBR Karachi has seized huge quantity of smuggled goods including 385,000liters of Iranian diesel, air-conditioners, vehicles, mobile phones, laptops, plastic granules, scrap, generators and tires worth more than Rs 438 million during the last three months through a systematic and well-coordinated operation against the smuggling of goods and tax evasion on the instructions of Lutfullah Virk, Director General, Customs Intelligence & Investigation-FBR, Islamabad.
This was stated by Director Customs Intelligence & Investigation-FBR, Karachi, Asif Margoob Siddiqui during a press conference held at Regional Office here on Thursday.
Additional Directors Customs Intelligence Feroze Alam Junejo, Nadeem Ahsan and Deputy Director Dr Muhammad Ahsan Khan were also present on the occasion.
Speaking at the press conference, Director Customs Intelligence and Investigation admitted the fact that the real culprits are released from courts due to weak prosecution system. Siddiqui further claimed that 40 to 50 criminals have been arrested in those particular cases of smuggling goods.
He further informed the media that the Anti-Smuggling Organization of the Directorate has also recovered duty and taxes more than Rs 103 million during the last three months. It was further disclosed by the Director, Asif Margoob Siddiqui that the cases of evasion of duty/taxes were also detected at Karachi Port as well as Port Muhammad Bin Qasim, adding that 36 cases amounting Rs 796 million have been unearthed by the Directorate during this period.
Siddiqui further informed the media that most of the tax evasion cases were related to misusing of SRO 1125, which allows concessions in taxes to the industries.
“Revenue amounting to Rs63million was deposited into the national exchequer during the same period”, he added.
Speaking at the occasion, Additional Director Nadeem Ahsan said that the work of Pakistan Customs was to determine the consignments, not to survey it.
He further made it clear that the SRO1125 applies on industrial consignments instead of commercial users.
“We are committed to implement SRO regime in its true spirit and detect tax evasion in order to save national kitty”, he maintained.
