FAISALABAD: Deputy Collector, Customs Adjudication, Saima Ayaz ordered the confiscation of smuggled mobiles, watches and hand-frees of foreign origin seized at the Faisalabad International Airport.
Deputy Collector Saima Ayaz heard a case filed by the Faisalabad AFU against an accused person namely Shah Ali and others. She issued an Order-in-Original (ONO) in favour of the Customs Department and ordered the confiscation of the items under the customs bylaws.
The ASO team, following secret information, was apprised of a passenger bringing some contraband goods in the bags from Dubai through a PIA flight at the Faisalabad Airport. The AFU team, intercepting the accused person, retrieved mobiles, watches and hand-frees from his hand carrying bags.
On demand, accused person could not produce any documentary evidence regarding the legal import or lawful possession of the loaded items. So he was taken into custody for further investigations under Section 168 of the Custom Act-1969 violation of Section 2 (s) read with SRO-566(1) Section 3 of Sales Tax Act-1990 Section 148 of Income Tax Ordinance.
Later, the case was sent to the Customs Adjudication for further legal action where customs representative argued that the recovered items were brought into the country through an unauthorized way and without the payment of leviable duty and taxes. Therefore the court was requested to issue orders for the confiscation of the goods.
However the respondents could not defend the allegation of smuggling before the adjudication. Therefore the deputy collector stated that it was crystal clear that the foreign origin seized items were smuggled by evading duties and taxes leviable thereon and ordered the impounding of the goods under Section 156(1) 89 of the Custom Act-1969.
