KARACHI: The Pakistan Customs has submitted a challan with the Special Court of Customs Taxation and Anti-Smuggling in a case pertaining to fraudulent evasion of customs duty and taxes estimated at Rs 6.75 million.
Investigation officer Syed Abbas Raza submitted the challan, declaring Sheikh Riaz Ahmed, Abdul Shakoor, Tanveer Ahmed and Naseer Ahmed — all directors of M/s Paramount Spinning Mills Limited — and Safeer Ahmed proprietor of M/s Aliz International and Mirza Muhammad Kamil Baig proprietor of M/s Union Enterprises were released on bail. Muhammad Abdullah, Ejaz Ali and Ali Afzal Shaikh, directors of M/s Paramount Spinning Mills Limited were shown as absconders. Two accused Nusrat R Siddiqui, one of the directors of M/s Paramount Spinning Mills Limited and Muhammad Idrees proprietor of M/s Hi-Ness Enterprises, have died.
Judge Syed Faiz Rasool Rashdi, while accepting the challan, directed the investigation officer to supply copy of the challan to the suspects. The hearing was adjourned until September 29.
According to the prosecution, M/s Paramount Spinning Mills Limited imported 50 consignments of Zippers YKK brand and subsequently filed general declarations for their clearance through customs clearing agents. M/s Aliz International filed 34 GDs involving Rs 13, 363, 573 with duty and taxes estimated at Rs 4,492,494. Whereas M/s Hi-Ness Enterprises filed 10 GDs valued at Rs 4,148,628 with duty and taxes to the tune of Rs 1,333, 993 and 6 GDs worth Rs 2,841,803 with duty and taxes of Rs 927,674 were filed by M/s Union Enterprises.
All the consignments were cleared under SRO 492(I)/2009 without payment of duty and taxes on indemnity bond and post dated cheques. Later it transpired that manufacturing unit of M/s Paramount Spinning Mills, Lahore closed for over a year and the importers failed to fulfill legal requirements. The post dated chaeques were sent to the banks but they were dishonored.
Subsequently an FIR was registered against the importer and clearing agents for fraudulently evading customs duty and taxes.
