DUBAI: A Customs agent has been jailed for two years and ordered to repay Dh2.2 million that he misappropriated from Dubai Customs using 521 forged Customs declaration forms.
The 32-year-old Pakistani agent, M.I., committed 521 counts of e-forgeries in declaration forms of cars that had been imported over more than two years. M.I. was sentenced to two years in jail and ordered to repay Dh2.2 million to Dubai Customs.
He was also fined Dh2.2 million [the misappropriated amount].
The Dubai Court of First Instance also jailed T.M., the 45-year-old Lebanese owner of a transport firm ,for six months for aiding and abetting M.I.
Presiding judge Urfan Omar also ordered the two defendants to jointly repay Dh111,150 to Dubai Customs.
“The duo will be deported following the completion of their punishments. They forged documents will be confiscated,” said presiding judge Omar in court.
Records said the Pakistani defendant forged the Customs declaration forms between February 2010 and January 2012 and caused a loss of Dh2.2 million to Dubai Customs.
Court records said M.I. accessed DC’s e-system and tampered with the year models of cars that had been imported to the UAE for a period of more than two years and changed them to more recent years to enable T.M. to export those cars to GCC countries.
M.I. was also convicted of accepting bribes [cash money and free meals at T.M.’s restaurant] to access Dubai Custom’s e-system and issue the forged declaration forms for the Lebanese to import and/or export cars through a seaport.
When the duo showed up in court, they pleaded not guilty and denied their accusations.
An Emirati Dubai Customs inspector testified: “M.I. was stationed at Rashid Port where he worked as a Customs clerk in the import section. His job required him to issue Customs declaration forms for imported goods [cars] and hand over those forms to the Dubai Customs’ management. Meanwhile T.S. was a regular client. The Pakistani defendant’s boss informed us that he had committed a number of administrative violations and flouted several instructions that inflicted financial loss on Dubai Customs. An internal investigation revealed that M.I. had been abusing his authority to access the e-system and issue tampered with declaration forms. He also used a Dubai Customs stamp that had been in his possession [as part of his job] to forge the forms.”
Prosecution records said the defendants were arrested shortly after M.I.’s wrongdoings were exposed.
Wednesday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
