LAHORE: The Collector of Customs Appraisement West Zahra Haider has foiled a bid to smuggle goods and articles worth Rs1.36 billion, involving evasion of Rs997.5 million in duties and taxes.
According to the officials sources of the Collectorate, two TPs, imported by M/s Zaniq Green (Pvt) Limited, numbered KAPW-TP-138384-07-03-2024 and KAPW-TP-138385-07-03-2024, declared to contain “Tyre Scrap” arrived at NLC Dry Port, Thokar Niaz Baig, Lahore on March 11, 2024 and March 13, 2024, respectively.
The transshipment of tyre scrap to the said port was a novel event and the Collectorate started vigilantly observing these consignments. Meanwhile, The Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation, Lahore wrote to Office of the Chief Collector of Customs –Appraisement (Punjab) informing therein that M/s Zaniq Green is involved in a possible attempt to clear high value miscellaneous items in the garb of tyre scrap while evading duty & taxes in Transshipment GD No. KAPW-TP-138385-07-03-2024, and requested to jointly examine the said consignment with the examination staff of the Collectorate.
The request was turned down by the then Chief Collector Muhammad Sadiq and the Collectorate was directed to examine both the consignments meticulously.
After that Collector Zahra Haider constituted a team under supervision a team deputy collector Umer Sajjad to probe the case.
The preliminary investigation of the containers revealed that they were shipped from Jebel Ali, UAE, which had arrived at KICT, Karachi on January 24, 2023 and transshipped to NLC on March 09, 2023. The Collectorate first waited for the trader to file a Goods Declaration (GD) for the clearance of the goods. However, when no GD was filed and upon completion of the filing period stipulated in section 82 of the Customs Act, 1969, a notice was given under the said section, warning the importer of the initiation of auction proceedings in respect of the goods if they were not cleared from the port within three days.
When no satisfactory reply was received, the Collectorate formed a committee for examining the containers, under the supervision of the Deputy Collector (Examination). Upon examination of TP no KAPW-TP-138385-07-03-2024, it was revealed that only one container numbered GESU5483987, contained tyre scrap, while the rest contained miscellaneous goods, comprising of laptops, electronic cigarettes, tyres, artificial jewelry, filter membranes, pharmaceutical products and some expired food stuff etc, while both the containers in KAPW-TP-138384-07-03-2024 contained laptops, tablets, cell phones, electronic cigarettes, fabric, garments, Indian origin pharmaceutical products, expired food stuff etc.
It is estimated that the goods imported vide TP no KAPW-TP-138385-07-03-2024, are valued at Rs453.8 million approximately, involving the approximate evasion of Rs278.8 million in duties and taxes; while the goods imported vide TP no KAPW-TP-138384-07-03-2024 are valued at Rs904.7 million approximately, and involve an evasion of Rs718.7 million in duties and taxes.
The Collectorate has lodged FIRs against the importer and the bonded carrier, while the goods have been seized. Further investigations are underway.
