KARACHI: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement thwarted an attempt to smuggle huge quantity of food items and confectionery by M/s Cargo Trading Systems.
Sources told Customs Today that acting on credible tip-off received from Collector Basit Maqsood Abbasi to Additional Collector, the anti-smuggling squad swung into action.
Customs anti-smuggling squad was constituted under the supervision of Deputy Collector Raza Naqvi which also included SPS-ASO Muhammad Habib Mayo, Muhammad Saqlain, Niaz Hussain, Raja Abdul Salam, Shamas Ul Arifeen, Imran Maqsood, and others.
Customs anti-smuggling squad spotted a suspicious vehicle and signaled it to stop. However, the vehicle and its container evaded capture by entering Sadiq Godown.
The anti-smuggling squad arrived at the premises and started a search operation. Inside the godown, they discovered a Hino Mazda truck unloading goods from the container. The shed was rented to Mir Zar Ali, who intended to transfer the smuggled goods to a reputable shop located in Karachi.
The seized goods included high-end chocolates, such as Hershey’s, Toblerone, Biscoff, Maltesers, and Raffaello Cadbury. Strangely, no one stepped forward to claim ownership or provide legal documentation for the seized items.
Further investigation revealed that the impugned container was destined for the Embassy of Libya in Islamabad.
Diplomatic cargo typically enjoys privileged status, exempt from scrutiny and taxes.
However, this audacious smuggling operation exploited that privilege, causing substantial losses to the national exchequer. The clearing agent, M/s. Cargo Trading System, shares responsibility for facilitating the illicit trade under the guise of diplomatic cargo.
Discrepancies between the recovered items and the proforma invoice indicated deliberate mis-declaration to conceal the true identity of the luxury food items.
Import data from WEBOC showed a startling pattern: the Libyan Embassy had imported four large consignments of foodstuffs over the past six months. Given the limited number of diplomatic members at the embassy, the sheer volume of imported foodstuff raised suspicions. The investigation estimated that duty and tax exemptions for these shipments amounted to Rs43 million.
An official reported that due to strict controls on the appraisement and enforcement sides, smugglers have turned to alternative methods. Diplomatic cargo has been susceptible to smuggling, but many attempts have been detected and prevented in the past.
