KARACHI: Corrupt shipping line Pacific International Lines (PIL) and its agents in Pakistan, Pacific Delta Shipping (Pvt) Ltd, are harassing and disturbing genuine importers through illegal holding & blocking of their imported goods for the sake of demanding additional demurrage and detention charges in violation of relevant customs laws. Importers have filed application to lodge FIR against this shipping line and its agents in Pakistan under PPC 407, 409, 420, 427, 506 and others so that these fraudsters are stopped to blackmail genuine importers by demanding ‘illegal’ additional charges.
Importers said PIL Ltd and its agents M/s Pacific Delta Shipping are deliberately holding the containers for minting illegal money and causing huge losses to the national exchequer by slowing down of revenue generation.
Importers told Customs Today, “they are suffering heavily daily due to non-availability of their goods, along with reputation loss & loss of customers, etc. and also the goods quality is deteriorating daily which leads to total loss very soon if the goods are not disposed in the markets”.
Sources said law under SRO 1220(I)/ 2015 explains that shipping companies cannot charge any demurrage and detention where specifically it is not agreed and also specifically not mentioned on the B/L (Bill of lading).
Sources further revealed that another section 14A of the Customs Act, 1969 says the importer cannot be forced to pay any demurrage or detention charges if Customs gives a certificate to importer called the ‘delay and detention certificate’. But despite this certificate, importers’ goods are held illegally to demand heavy amounts as demurrage.
As per details, “importers, through their shipper/agents in China, handed the goods to PIL Ltd. as trust to be delivered and released here at Karachi. The shipping lines PIL Ltd nominated M/S Pacific Delta Shipping (Pvt) Ltd as their agents at Karachi for delivery of goods. Importers also long back paid in full to the shipping lines the ocean freight charges as agreed between the parties. But despite repeated reminders and visiting office of M/S Pacific Delta Shipping (Pvt) Ltd, they did not release the goods yet”.
Importers said, “The actions of PIL Ltd. through its owners, management and staff including but not limited to S.S.Teo, Peter Chang, Tan Chor Kee, William Tay, Teo Tend Seng, Tony Teo, Choo Wee Teo, Kuan Kim Kin, others and of M/S Pacific Delta Shipping (Pvt) Ltd through its owners, management and staff including but not limited to Bakhtiar Khan, Naveed Ahmad Khan, Tay Kian Phuan William, Teo Chew Seng, Teo Siong Seng, Qamar Naqi, Baig Mirza Mueez, Khan Imran and others, individually and jointly, tantamount to conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating, mischief to cause losses, threatening, etc. which attract penal sections under PPC 34, 407, 409, 420, 427, 506, besides others.”
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Importers said they give goods as trust (amaanat) to the PIL Ltd. but their goods are held illegally to blackmail them to pay heavy amounts of charges and thus the PIL Ltd & its agents M/s Pacific Delta make good wealth through criminal means.
Sources confirmed that the importers have finally lodged application against PIL Ltd and its agents in Pakistan M/s Pacific Delta Shipping and they are following up with the Jackson police station on daily basis. The police officials assured the applicants that soon they will lodge the FIR according to law and take necessary legal action against all the accused persons involved in the mega scandal.
