KARACHI: Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) has challenged Rs5 million penalty imposed by Collectorate of Customs Appraisement West Collector Irfan Wahid in Customs Appelate Tribunal (CAT).
Collector Irfan Wahid stated that KICT had failed in maintaining a secure environment at the terminal. It was known that KICT staff unsealed a container and showed the contents of the container to the important and then resealed the container without informing the Customs staff.
M/s Zaniq Green imported a consignment comprising 8 containers, and their representative was able to see the contents of one of the containers before clearance.
FIR is registered against M/s Zaniq Green for mis-declaring the imported goods and replacing the cargo during inter-port movement.
Z/s Bilal Associates owns stake in the SAPT. Chaudhry Raza of M/s Ports Connection is the accomplice and frontman of Bilal Associates. Moreover, all the equipment and machinery at KICT belongs to Bilal Associates.
Both Bilal Associates and Ports Connection have been nominated in various FIRs for mis-declaration, revenue evasion and pilferage of NATO/ISAF cargo.
Bilal Associates also bought 3 off-dock terminals in Karachi, and one in port Qasim. An off-dock terminal in Hub is also their’s.
Certain importers, associates of these two forms, container terminals (KICT and SAPT), and off-dock terminal are said to have developed a connection.
Bahria terminal is in Hub, there are several off-dock terminals and space available at SAPT but still consignments are moved to Hub. These goods are then moved back to Karachi.
High value and banned goods are imported but mis-declared as low value goods. These goods are then transported from sea terminal to off-dock terminal and during transit goods are pilfered.
This is a very sophisticated scam as bonded carriers remain unaware of the movement of vehicles, because bonded carriers obtain contractual vehicles.
In one case 40 consignments of cat liter sand were transported from SAPT terminal to Bahria off-dock terminal in Hub, which is in clear violation of rules and regulations.
